Lassa fever in UK
In England, two people have been diagnosed with Lassa fever, and a third"probable" case is under investigation, the UK Health Security Agency has said.
One of the two confirmed cases has recovered, and the second is receiving specialist care at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. The "probable" case is being treated at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS foundation trust, UKHSA said. The cases are understood to be within the same family in the east of England and are linked to recent travel to West Africa.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness. People usually become infected with Lassa virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats. The virus can also be spread through bodily fluids.
People living in areas of West Africa with high populations of rodents where the disease is endemic are most at risk of Lassa fever. Imported
Dr Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said: "We can confirm that two cases of Lassa fever have been identified in England, and a further probable case is under investigation. The cases are within the same family and are linked to recent travel to West Africa. Cases of Lassa fever are rare in the UK and it does not spread easily between people. The overall risk to the public is very low. We arecontacting the individuals who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to provide appropriate assessment, support and advice. The UKHSA and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be reinforced."
Most people with Lassa fever will make a full recovery. However, severe illness can occur in some individuals.
Before these cases, there had been just 8 cases of Lassa fever imported to the UK since 1980. The last two cases occurred in 2009. There was no evidence of onward transmission from any of these cases.
Source: ProMed
© IZSAM February 2022
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