Lassa Fever: What is Lassa fever? Symptoms and cause of Lassa Virus explained after two cases found in the UK

Two cases of Lassa fever have been identified in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

One is being cared for in the Royal Free Hospital in London, with the second at the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

What is Lassa Fever? Here's everything you need to know.

What is the Lassa fever virus?

Lassa fever is an 'acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus,' according to the UKHSA.

Spread through the urine or faeces of rates, people usually become sick with Lassa fever after coming into contact with food or items that are contaminated.

The illness can also be spread through bodily fluids and is endemic in 'Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria' according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Cases in the UK are rare and are usually imported, with the last known cases taking place in 2009.

What are the symptoms of Lassa Fever?

According to the WHO, symptoms include:

“A headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain."

“In severe cases facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure may develop.”

The incubation period can last from six to twenty-one days, but up to 80% of people who have Lassa fever have no symptoms.

Is there a risk of the Lassa fever virus in the UK?

There currently is no cause for concern about Lassa fever spreading in the UK.

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at UKHSA, said: “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 are contacting the individuals who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to provide appropriate assessment, support and advice."

“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.”

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