A new child child within the U.Okay. died final week of Lassa fever — an acute viral sickness that’s endemic in elements of West Africa. As a result of the illness would not unfold simply, nonetheless, the probabilities of a wider outbreak are low, well being authorities stated.
The toddler was one among three confirmed instances of the virus within the U.Okay.; all the contaminated have been members of the identical household, and so they had just lately traveled to West Africa, the BBC reported on Feb. 15.
The UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA) reported the loss of life in an announcement on Feb. 11, however didn’t point out the affected person’s age. One of many sick people has already recovered; the opposite is being handled on the Royal Free London NHS Basis Belief, in line with the UKHSA.
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Lassa fever final appeared within the U.Okay. greater than a decade in the past, with two instances rising in 2009. With the latest infections, there have now been 11 instances of Lassa fever within the UK since 1980, UKHSA reported.
Lassa fever is a zoonotic illness, which implies that it’s transmitted to individuals by means of contact with an contaminated animal. The animal vector for the virus is a rodent referred to as the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis), which lives all through West Africa and sheds the virus in its droppings and urine, in line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC). Folks grow to be contaminated with Lassa by means of direct publicity to contaminated particles from contaminated rats, or by means of contact with an contaminated particular person’s blood, saliva or excrement.
An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 individuals are contaminated by Lassa fever annually, and the illness causes roughly 5,000 deaths, in line with the CDC. Signs might take as much as three weeks to seem after publicity to the virus. In about 80% of instances, indicators of sickness are nonexistent or gentle, and might embrace headache, minor muscular weak point and low fever. In additional extreme infections, people might expertise vomiting, respiratory misery, hemorrhaging, neurological issues and organ failure. Nevertheless, solely about 1% of Lassa fever infections are deadly, the CDC reported.
Officers with the UKHSA are intently monitoring people who have been in direct contact with the three confirmed instances, together with sufferers and medical employees on the Luton and Dunstable hospital the place the toddler died, and at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge, The Guardian reported. No additional instances have been recognized to this point, in line with a UKHSA assertion launched on Feb. 16.
“Circumstances of Lassa fever are uncommon within the U.Okay. and it doesn’t unfold simply between individuals,” Dr. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA , stated within the assertion. “The general danger to the general public may be very low.”
Initially revealed on Reside Science.