ABOUT LASSA FEVER
Lassa fever was first discovered in the 1950s, the
virus causing the lassa disease was not identified until 1969 as a single
strand RNA
virus belonging to the arenaviridae. About 80% of people who become
infected with lassa virus have no symptoms. One in five infectious results in
severe disease, where the virus affects several organs such as liver, spleen
and kidneys.
Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease, meaning that
humans become infected from contact with infected animals. The animal reservoir
or host of the lassa virus do not become ill but shed the virus in their urine
and faeces. Once the presence of the disease is confirmed in a community,
prompt isolation of affected persons, good infection prevention and control practices
and rigorous contract tracing can stop
outbreaks.