Lassa fever virus

Lassa fever also known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever LHF is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. Once infected this rodent is able to excrete virus in urine for an extended time period maybe for the rest of its life.

Lassa Fever All You Need To Know Fever Fever Symptoms Prevention

Nigeria Africas most populous nation of some 210 million people is also battling with Covid-19 which has so far infected 252753 people and.

. Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever caused by a single-stranded RNA virus known as Lassa virus a member of the Arenaviridae family. The virus takes its name from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria where it was first identified in 1969. Nigeria has set up an emergency response centre to contain rising cases of Lassa fever after 26 people were killed in the past three weeks.

Many of those infected by the virus do not develop symptoms. In 20 of infected individuals however disease may. Scientists first identified the virus causing Lassa fever in 1969.

Less commonly there may be bleeding from the mouth or gastrointestinal tract. According to the World Health Organization 80 per cent of people who get infected wont. It belongs to the Arenaviridae family.

Mastomys rodents breed frequently produce large numbers of offspring and are numerous in the savannas and forests of west central and east. For the majority of Lassa fever virus infections approximately 80 symptoms are mild and are undiagnosed. The reservoir or host of Lassa virus is a rodent known as the multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis.

Signs and symptoms of Lassa fever typically occur 1-3 weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. When symptoms occur they typically include fever weakness headaches vomiting and muscle pains. Mild symptoms include slight fever general malaise and weakness and headache.

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