There are 258 confirmed cases of the infectious disease across 19 of Nigeria’s 36 states, the NCDC said. Most of those affected are between 11 and 40 years old.
What Is Lassa Fever?
According to the World Health Organization, Lassa fever is “an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses,” and was first identified in 1969 and named after the town in Nigeria where it was discovered.Humans typically become infected by the virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated by the urine or feces of infected Mastomys rats.
![Samples of rodents that spread Lassa fever are displayed at the Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control in Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria, on March 6, 2018. (Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images)](/https/www.theepochtimes.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1.800.gay%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F01%2F30%2Fmastomys-rats-1200x800.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Mastomys rats breed frequently, produce large numbers of offspring, and are commonly found in the savannas and forests of west, central, and east Africa.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of Lassa fever typically occur between one and three weeks after the patient is exposed to the virus and for the majority (approximately 80 percent), symptoms are mild and go undiagnosed.Individuals may suffer mild symptoms such as a slight fever, discomfort, weakness, and headaches. The disease can progress to more serious symptoms including hemorrhaging in the gums, eyes, or nose, respiratory issues, repeated vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen, and shock.
Loss of hearing, tremors, and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, can also occur, while death may occur two weeks after the symptoms begin, due to multi-organ failure.
Previous Cases
Lassa virus is an annually recurring viral disease and different from the current outbreak of coronavirus that was first diagnosed in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year.Treatment
Lassa virus can be treated by the antiviral drug Ribavirin, which is most effective when provided promptly after the patient becomes sick.Preventative steps to avoid exposure to the virus include storing food in rat-proof containers and keeping the home clean to discourage rats from entering. Health officials also advise not to eat the rats, which are sometimes consumed as a food source.