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What is Lassa Fever?
Lassa febrility belongs to a group ofviral hemorrhagic feversand is also termed as Lassa hemorrhagic fever ( LHF ) . The cause is the Lassa virus ; hence the name “ Lassa Fever . ” Many patients unremarkably do not experience any symptoms and if they do develop them , they include weakness , fever , headaches , brawn pains and vomiting . Patient can also have bleeding from thegastrointestinal tractor oral cavity ; however , this is not common . The mortality rate is about 1 % with this contagion and ordinarily occurs within a duad of weeks after the growing of the symptom . About 25 % of patients who survive Lassa febrility will suffer from hearing loss , which gradually improves somewhat .
Lassa fever spreads to human beingness through contact with the feces or urine of an infected multimammate rat . After this Lassa fever can directly spread through unmediated contact between human beings . It is difficult to come to a diagnosing of Lassa fever based on the symptom alone as there are other alike stipulation such asmalaria , Ebola febricity , lily-livered feverand enteric fever fever . The diagnosing of Lassa fever can be confirmed by performing research lab investigations , which detect the RNA of the Lassa computer virus , the computer virus itself or antibodies to the computer virus in mobile phone culture .
There is no vaccinum for Lassa feverishness . This consideration can be prevented by sequestrate the septic patient role and prevent middleman with the stinkpot . This can be done by adopting a guy to track down the rats and preserve the food stored in sealed containers . handling of Lassa fever consist of speak the affected role ’s dehydration and try out to alleviate the symptom . Antiviral medications , such as ribavirin is beneficial when turn over in former stage . All these things will help with improving the prognosis .
Causes of Lassa Fever
Mastomys natalensis is the rodent host of the Lassa fever computer virus . The Lassa virus gets transmitted to human from Mastomys natalensis which is a natal multimammate shiner . The Lassa computer virus gets transmitted to human organism through touch with the urine or stool of the infect animals when they are access caryopsis in the house . Exposure to animal excrement through the gastrointestinal nerve tract or respiratory piece of land is the vulgar modality through which the infection gets transmitted . When people breathe in tiny particles of this infectious textile , then the mortal get infected . This is thought to be one of the significant methods of exposure . Infectioncan also develop through touch via broken skin or mucous membrane , which get directly exposed to the infectious textile . The infection can also gets transmitted from one person to another as the virus can still be found in the urine for around 4 to 9 weeks after contagion , and is present in come for around three months after the contagion has happen .
Signs & Symptoms of Lassa Fever
In majority of the patient role , Lassa fever is symptomless ; however , the remain nonage of the patients can experience a complicated class of this disease . Lassa fever is responsible for around 1/3 death in hospitals in affected region . The incubation time period is about six to 21 twenty-four hour period , after which the patient experiences acute illness followed by affaire of multiple organs of the physical structure . There are nonspecific symptoms , such as febrility , sinew fatigue , facial lump , mucosal bleeding andconjunctivitis . Other symptoms occur as a effect of the organs getting involve are :
Gastrointestinal Tract Symptoms of Lassa Fever : Nausea , haematemesis ( rakehell in vomit),diarrheawith blood in it , constipation , stomach ache , dysphagia(difficulty in swallowing ) andhepatitis .
Respiratory Tract Symptoms of Lassa Fever : Dyspnea , cough , dresser pain , pleuritis and raw throat .
Cardiovascular System symptom of Lassa Fever : Hypertension , pericarditis , tachycardia and hypotension .
Nervous System symptom of Lassa Fever : Meningitis , encephalitis , bilateral or unilateral hearing deficit and seizures .
The virus gets excreted in the affected role ’s pee for about 4 - 9 weeks and in semen for around three months .
Diagnosis of Lassa Fever
It is difficult to distinguish Lassa fever from other viral haemorrhagic feverishness such as Marburg and Ebola and from common fevers such as malaria . research lab investigations , such as ELISA trial for antigen and IgM antibody are perform for diagnosing of Lassa fever . Other test determination , which are discover in Lassa febrility admit lymphopenia ( decreased white-hot blood cell count ) , thrombocytopenia ( decreased platelet ) , and increased aspartate aminotransferase blood levels . The Lassa computer virus is also obtain in the cerebrospinal fluid .
Treatment for Prevention of Lassa Fever
It is important to start former and aggressive treatment using the antiviral medicine , ribavirin , for good intervention . Other than this , ribavirin is more effective when it is given intravenously than orally . Other than ribavirin , treatment lie of campaign hypotension , fluid substitution , and blood transfusion . Other than this endovenous interferon therapy can also be used .
If a pregnant woman gets infect with Lassa febricity in the third trimester , then consider induct livery for a chance of selection . The Lassa computer virus has an chemical attraction for highly vascular tissues such as placenta . The unborn foetus has about 1 in 10 chance of survival disregarding of the course of activity taken ; because of which the main aim is saving the life of the female parent . After the delivery , the female parent should continue to receive the same handling as that of other affected role suffering from Lassa feverishness .
Prevention of Lassa Fever
The population of the rodents can be difficult to control , so instead measures are taken to prevent the rodents from accessing the food supplies and entering the homes along with observe good personal hygiene , such as using masks , gloves , goggles and research lab coat when in liaison with an septic someone . Patients who are suspected to have Lassa pyrexia infection must be take to isolation accommodations along with proper disposal of the dead body fluids and excreta . Research is going on to find a vaccine for Lassa virus .
Prognosis of Lassa Fever
The mortality charge per unit of Lassa feverishness is around 1 % , but it can get as high as 50 % during an epidemic . Around 15 - 20 % the patients who are hospitalize due to Lassa pyrexia will die from this infection . The mortality rate increases to more than 80 % if fraught women get taint in their third trimester with death of the foetus also occurring in almost all those cases . Abortion in such case cuts the risk of female parent ’s expiry . Some patients who survive can have lasting effect from Lassa fever , such as partial or complete deafness . handling with ribavirin has helped in cut down the human death rates of Lassa fever .
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