Lassa’s first death in Britain – a potential pandemic

By Sofia Kostara

A man from Bedfordshire in Britain has died after contracting Lassa fever, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to three, according to the country’s Health Insurance Agency. The man who contracted the disease belonged to a family that returned from West Africa.

It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.

A third “possible case” is also under investigation and is being treated at the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, according to the UK Health Insurance Agency (UKHSA). These are cases that belong to the same family. One of the confirmed cases had recovered and the other will receive specialized care at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, he said in an announcement yesterday without today being anything new about his fate.

It is noted that only 10 cases of the disease transmitted by rodents have been recorded in total in the United Kingdom, with the most recent cases being the first since 2009.

Potential pandemic

The disease has been classified as a potential pandemic and is on the World Health Organization (WHO) priority list, along with Ebola and dengue fever. The questions that arise, however, are how the virus is transmitted and how deadly it is. Lassa Fever (Lassa Fever), caused by the Lassa (Lassa Virus) virus, is endemic to Nigeria and many other countries on the west coast of Africa, including Liberia and Guinea.

Symptoms of the disease start with headaches, sore throat and vomiting, and can also cause bleeding from the mouth, nose or vagina. However, they gradually develop into shock, seizures, tremor, disorientation, and even coma, without timely treatment. A quarter of patients will also experience temporary deafness that will eventually return, according to the medical literature. Most patients with Lassa fever will recover completely, but the virus can be fatal in about 1% of cases. The virus can be transmitted through exposure to food or household items, urine or feces of infected rats, or body fluids.

People living in areas of West Africa with high rodent populations are at greater risk of Lassa fever, UKHSA officials said. Cases occurring in other areas are “almost exclusively in people working in endemic areas in high-risk occupations, such as healthcare staff or other health care workers,” they added.

Source: Capital

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