New Delhi: A new virus is sparking concern in the United Kingdoms, as the omicron variant of Covid19 is quite disappearing and the world is returning to its new normal. Atleast of three cases regarding the Lassa fever has come into picture and is confirmed in the UK, out of which one has died.
According to news reports, all the three cases reported of the virus had travelled from the West Africa. The first death from the virus has been reported in Bedfordshire and the UKHSA said that it is the first time cases of the potentially deadly infectious disease, caused by the Lassa virus, have been identified in the UK for more than a decade.
India hasn’t detected any cases of the Lassa fever yet and the experts are closely watching the situation. The World Heath Organisation is also monitoring the situation in the UK.
What is Lassa Fever?
Lassa Fever is an acute viral infection which is endemic in parts of West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.
According to the US-based Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the host of Lassa Fever is a rodent known as the “multimammate rat” (Mastomys natalensis). Once infected, this rodent is able to excrete virus in urine for an extended time period, maybe for the rest of its life.
Transmission of Lassa virus to humans occurs most commonly through ingestion or inhalation. Mastomys rodents shed the virus in urine and droppings and direct contact with these materials, through touching soiled objects, eating contaminated food, or exposure to open cuts or sores, can lead to infection.
The virus causing Lassa Fever was first identified in 1969, which is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the virus family Arenaviridae.
Symptoms Of The Lassa Fever
The first signs appear nearly 1-3 weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. In 80 per cent of the cases of Lassa Fever the symptoms are mild and goes undetected. However, in the remaining 20 per cent the symptoms could be strong and include hemorrhaging (in gums, eyes, or nose), respiratory distress, repeated vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen, and shock.
CDC notes that neurological problems have also been described, including hearing loss, tremors, and encephalitis. Death may occur within two weeks after symptoms onset due to multi-organ failure.
According to the World Health Organisation, the overall case-fatality rate is 1 per cent. Among patients who are hospitalized with severe clinical presentation of Lassa fever, case fatality is estimated at around 15 per cent.
The Treatment For Lassa Fever
Researchers have been able to develop a treatment for the viral disease that includes Ribavirin, an antiviral drug which has shown to be most effective when given early in the course of the illness.
When caring for patients with Lassa fever, further transmission of the disease through person-to-person contact or nosocomial routes can be avoided by taking preventive precautions against contact. CDC states that precautions include wearing protective clothing, such as masks, gloves, gowns, and goggles; using infection control measures, such as complete equipment sterilization; and isolating infected patients from contact with unprotected persons until the disease has run its course.
How To Diagnose Lassa Fever?
According to WHO, the viral disease can be diagnosed only in laboratories using two methods:
Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay
Antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
Antigen detection tests
Virus isolation by cell culture.
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