The Lassa fever makes the first victim in Great Britain. In Bedfordshire, in the south east of the island, in fact, as reported by UK health officials, one person died from contracting the virus simile all’Ebola, bringing the number of cases recorded in England to three. Lassa fever is a serious infectious disease, classified in the category of viral haemorrhagic fevers, with characteristics similar to Ebola). The news was reported by the UK Health Security Agency (Ukhsa).
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All identified cases, as the Independent reports, they come from the same East of England family who recently traveled to West 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.
Ukhsa, the UK’s Health Safety Agency, he said he was already at work: ‘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 ».
What is Lassa fever
The Lassa fever is an acute viral bleeding disease that can lead to internal bleeding and affect various organs. The virus is part of the same family as the‘Ebola, while not as dangerous and contagious, and has become endemic to numerous West African countries. The chances of contagion range from the hypothesis of having consumed food that has come into contact with mouse droppings or through already infected body fluids. The name of the disease 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. Those who contract it usually recover completely after a few days, but in other cases it can unfortunately be fatal.
Last updated: Friday 11 February 2022, 11:04 pm
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