One person died in Great Britain after contracting the Lassa fever. This is the third confirmed case of this serious infectious disease (classified in the category of viral haemorrhagic fevers, with very similar characteristics all’Ebola) found in south-east England. The first victim in Bedfordshire. The news was reported by the UK Health Security Agency (Ukhsa). It emerged that the three infected, including the deceased person, are members of a family who recently returned to the UK after a trip to Africa. Before these cases, there had been a total of eight in the country since 1980, always arriving from abroad, with the last two in 2009.
Lassa fever, what is Ebola-like virus: symptoms, incubation, therapy and prevention
Lassa fever, first death in Great Britain
Ukhsa said: “We are contacting people who have had close contact with cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to provide appropriate assessments, support and advice. The risk for the population remains very low ». A spokesperson for the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust added: ‘We confirm the death of a patient at our center who contracted Lassa fever. We send our deepest condolences to the family in this difficult time ».
Lassa fever, what is it?
Lassa fever, according to the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, «is part of the group of viral haemorrhagic fevers (Fev), pathologies of viral origin of a systemic nature, characterized by sudden, acute onset and often accompanied by haemorrhagic manifestations. In general, the agents responsible for Fev are Rna viruses (arenavirus, bunyavirus, filovirus, flavivirus), whose survival is guaranteed by natural reservoirs such as animals or insects. Viruses are geographically confined to the areas where the host species live ». The origin of Lassa fever dates back to the Nigerian city of the same name, where in 1969 two missionary nurses died of this disease, which until then was not known. Particularly widespread in Africa due to the Rna virus belonging to the Arenaviridae family, whose main reservoir are the Mastomys rodents.
Patient dies of Lassa fever as third case in UK confirmed, health officials say https://t.co/esURQ7G3vy
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I symptoms of Lassa fever, explains the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, in 80% of cases it is a mild disease (or even asymptomatic) and can present itself as a serious systemic disease in the remaining 20%. Unlike the other Fevs, «the onset of Lassa fever is gradual and the incubation period can reach up to 3 weeks (against an average of 1-9 days for the others). The initial symptoms are quite general: fever, headache, myalgia, pharyngodynia with tonsillar exudate, difficulty in feeding (dysphagia), dry cough, chest pain (sometimes severe back pain), abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea “. The worsening of the clinical condition is manifested by edema of the face and neck, respiratory insufficiency, pleural and pericardial effusion, proteinuria, encephalopathy, bleeding of the mucous membranes. Hypotension and shock can occur regardless of bleeding. Hearing loss may occur during convalescence. The overall lethality rate is less than 1%, while it rises to 15-20% in untreated cases.