Lassa Fever - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Lassa fever is an epidemic hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus, an extremely virulent arenavirus. Lassa fever may be characterized by high fever, sore throat, severe muscle aches, skin rash with hemorrhages, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea purplish spots in the skin caused by leakage of blood from the capillaries. Heart and kidney failure may also occur in severe cases, and mortality is high, ranging from about 15% to, among pregnant women, as much as 60%. Treatment by injection of the antiviral drug ribavirin is often successful if begun early. Lassa fever is an acute contagious viral disease of central western Africa. The illness was discovered in 1969 when two missionary nurses died in Nigeria, West Africa. The cause of the illness was found to be Lassa virus, named after the town in Nigeria where the first cases originated. The virus, a member of the virus family Arenaviridae, is a single-stranded RNA virus and is zoonotic, or animal-borne. In areas of Africa where the disease is endemic (that is, constantly present), Lassa fever is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. While Lassa fever is mild or has no observable symptoms in about 80% of people infected with the virus, the remaining 20% have a severe multisystem disease. Lassa fever is also associated with occasional epidemics, during which the case-fatality rate can reach 50% .

Symptoms of Lassa Fever

Some common Symptoms of Lassa Fever :

• Sore throat
• Dry cough
• Fever
• Back pain
• Headache
• Abdominal pain.
• Vomiting.
• Cough.

Treatment of Lassa Fever

• Treatment of Lassa fever includes I.V. ribavirin, l.V. colloids for shock, analgesics for pain, and antipyretics for fever.
• Ribavirin and an antiviral drug, has been used with success in Lassa fever patients.
• Patients should also receive supportive care consisting of maintenance of appropriate fluid and electrolyte balance, oxygenation.
• Fluid replacement, blood transfusion and fighting hypotension are usually required.