A CASE of Lassa fever has been reported in the Paris region.
The patient, a soldier who had recently returned from abroad, is now being treated at the Bégin military hospital in Saint-Mandé, Paris.
Corbis – GettyPeople usually contract the bug by being exposed to food or items covered in rat urine or faeces[/caption]
It comes as Nigeria reported the worst outbreak of the bug on record.
Local health officials said that an “in-depth epidemiological investigation is underway to determine the persons who may have been in contact with him”.
It said his condition “does not give cause for concern”.
Lassa virus is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness which causes bleeding from the eyes, ears and mouth.
It is transmitted to humans from rodents, and people can also pass it to each other.
The virus – in the same family as Ebola, but not as deadly or infectious – has become endemic in a number of West African countries, including Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo
Over the last few years, several travellers returning to Europe or the US from Africa have been found to be infected with Lassa, but they have not spread the disease to others.
Three cases were reported in Britain in 2022 in a family who had returned from West Africa to Bedfordshire, with a newborn baby tragically dying from the virus.
It is currently listed on the World Health Organization’s list of notorious pathogens that have epidemic or pandemic potential.
Most people with Lassa Fever make a full recovery, but some people can get severely ill.
It causes headaches, weakness, coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains and a sore throat.
In severe cases, it can lead to internal bleeding, as well as breathing problems, facial swelling, chest pain and shock.
It is estimated to infect more than 200,000 people each year, killing a few thousand.
Treatment with an anti-viral drug is sometimes effective, but only if given soon after disease onset.
How it spreads
It is spread through contact with the urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats, and is particularly prevalent in poorer communities.
The virus can spread from human to human in rare circumstances, especially when healthcare workers come in contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.
Last year saw the worst outbreak on record in Nigeria, with 9,155 suspected cases, 1,270 confirmed, and 227 deaths.
This year’s caseload appears to be slightly lower, with 577 confirmed cases and 94 deaths confirmed by February, compared to the number of cases recorded during the same time last year.
Signs and symptoms of Lassa Fever
THE incubation period of Lassa fever ranges from six to 21 days.
The onset of the disease, when it is symptomatic, is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, and malaise.
After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow.
In severe cases, facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from the eyes, mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure may develop.
The onset of the disease, when it is symptomatic, is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, and malaise.
After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow.
In severe cases, facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from the eyes, mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure may develop.
Source: The WHO