Lassa fever is an animal-borne or zoonotic, and acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by a virus known as the Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses. The disease is endemic in the rodent population in parts of West Africa.
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The World Health Organization describes the Lassa fever as an endemic in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, Nigeria, and other West African countries.
Can Lassa fever be cured?
About 80% of people who become infected with the Lassa virus show no signs or symptoms of the disease. However, the disease can be treated with Ribavirin, an antiviral drug when spotted early.
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How is Lassa fever transmitted from person to person?
The Lassa fever can mainly be transmitted from the contamination of broken skin or mucous membranes through direct or indirect contact with infected rodent excreta on floors, home surfaces, food, or water.
Transmission from one person to another can also occur, particularly in a health care environment where adequate infection prevention and control measures are absent.
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