UK Reports One Death from Lassa Fever, What Disease Is It?

KOMPAS.com – A resident from Bedfordshire in English reported to have died after experiencing lassa fever.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also confirmed this report, after revealing a number of cases of Lassa fever that occurred in the country.

The patient who died from the disease had also previously been treated at the hospital Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

“We confirm the death of a confirmed patient with Lassa fever. We send our deepest condolences to their families at this difficult time,” a hospital spokesman said IndependentSunday (13/2/2022).

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“We will continue to support the families of our patients and staff and work closely with the team from the UK Health Security Service to carry out close contact tracing.”

According to UKHSA officials, the total number of identified cases of Lassa fever in the UK has now risen to three. All the cases found were from one family in East England, following a recent trip to West Africa.

It had recorded two cases at the start of last week, while a third patient who had died was under surveillance for an acute viral illness.

UKHSA has also contacted people who had close contact with the previous case. However, they said that the risk of Lassa fever in the general public was still very low.

In the UK, prior to the recent case, only eight cases of Lassa fever had been recorded since 1980, with the last two cases occurring in 2009.

“UKHSA and NHS have sound and robust infection control procedures in place to deal with imported infectious disease cases and these will be strengthened,” said UKHSA’s chief medical adviser, Dr Susan Hopkins.

Lassa Fever is a disease caused by the Lassa virus, and is often transmitted through exposure to food or items contaminated with urine or feces mouse infected.

This virus reproduces in Mastomys mice, the species Mastomys Natalensis, commonly known as multimammate mice.

According to the UKHSA, people living in areas of West Africa with high rat populations are particularly at risk of developing Lassa fever.

On the other hand, the agency insists that the majority of patients with Lassa fever will make a full recovery. Only one percent of the total infections cause death, but severe disease can occur in certain individuals.

“Emerging infectious diseases are increasing in prevalence, severity and spread as a result of climate change, global transport and human travel to other regions,” said Dr Melanie Saville, an expert from Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

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