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Lassa fever |
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Lassa fever (lăs`ə), a severe viral disease occurring mostly in W Africa, characterized by high fever, muscle aches, mouth ulcers, and bleeding in the skin. The disease was first recognized in Lassa, Nigeria, in 1969. The causative virus belongs to a group called arenaviruses and is harbored by a rat, Mastomys natalensis. The virus is spread to humans via the rat's urine in airborne droplets or contaminated food. The disease can also be caught by medical personnel treating patients in hospitals.
The incubation period of Lassa fever is 3 to 17 days. Following fever and general malaise, later stages of the disease may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and petechiae, tiny purplish spots in the skin caused by leakage of blood from the capillaries. Heart and kidney failure may also occur in severe cases, and mortality is high, ranging from about 15% to, among pregnant women, as much as 60%. Treatment by injection of the antiviral drug ribavirin is often successful if begun early. See also hemorrhagic fever hemorrhagic fever (hĕm'ərăj`ĭk) Lassa fever a serious viral disease of Central West Africa, characterized by high fever and muscular pains How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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A serum specimen collected in May 1975 was sent to CDC, where an indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) titer of 256 was demonstrated against Lassa fever virus (E Rollin, pers. The technology may also be useful with respect to targets such as the Lassa fever virus currently being studied by the US Army in collaboration with Inovio. His colleagues hope that his death can galvanize support for healthcare workers and scientists working on the front lines with Lassa fever virus and other emerging pathogens. |
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