About Lassa fever:

Lassa fever-causing virus is found in West Africa. It was first discovered in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria. The Lassa virus is named after a town in Nigeria where the first cases were discovered.

Transmission: The virus spreads by rats.

Human Transmission can be caused by:

• Contact with household items or food that is contaminated with the urine or feces of an infected rat.
• Contact with a sick person’s infected bodily fluids or through mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or mouth.
• Person-to-person transmission in healthcare settings.

Symptoms: Symptoms typically appear 1-3 weeks after exposure. Mild symptoms include slight fever, fatigue, weakness, headache, and more serious symptoms include bleeding, difficulty breathing, and vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, abdomen, and shock.

Deaths: The death rate associated with this disease is low, at around 1%. But the death rate is higher for certain individuals such as pregnant women among others.

Treatment: The antiviral drug ribavirin seems to be an effective treatment for Lassa fever if given early on in the course of clinical illness.

Source: Biology and Biotechnology