Lassa fever

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Lassa fever

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Lassa fever , 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 .

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Lassa fever

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | © World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Lassa fever Acute viral disease, classified as a haemorrhagic fever. The virus, first detected in 1969, is spread by a species of rat found only in w Africa. It is characterized by internal bleeding, with fever, headache and muscle pain.

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Lassa fever

A Dictionary of Nursing | 2008 | © A Dictionary of Nursing 2008, originally published by Oxford University Press 2008. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Lassa fever (las-ă) n. a serious virus disease confined to Central West Africa. Symptoms include headache, high fever, and severe muscular pains; difficulty in swallowing often arises. Death from kidney or heart failure occurs in over 50% of cases. Treatment with plasma from recovered patients is the best therapy.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Free Article On the front lines of Lassa fever.(In Memoriam)(Aniru Conteh)(Obituary)
Magazine article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases; 10/1/2004
Free Article Lassa fever, Nigeria, 2003 and 2004.(Letter to the Editor)
Magazine article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases; 10/1/2005
Free Article Imported Lassa fever--New Jersey, 2004.
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 10/1/2004

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On the front lines of Lassa fever.(In Memoriam)(Aniru Conteh)(Obituary)
Magazine article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases; 10/1/2004; ; 700+ words ; ...dedicated to treating patients with Lassa fever, a rodentborne viral disease, to...working on the front lines with Lassa fever virus and other emerging pathogens...principally to the fight against Lassa fever. Lassa fever was first recognized... Read more
Lassa fever, Nigeria, 2003 and 2004.(Letter to the Editor)
Magazine article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases; 10/1/2005; ; 700+ words ; ...Editor: Suspected outbreaks of Lassa fever have been reported in the northern...and March 2004 (1,2). To confirm Lassa fever activity in this area, serum samples...illness that indicated symptomatic Lassa fever, while 1 (04-04) had been classified... Read more
Imported Lassa fever--New Jersey, 2004.
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 10/1/2004; ; 700+ words ; Lassa fever is an acute viral illness caused by Lassa...Africa where the disease is endemic (1). Lassa fever is characterized by fever, muscle aches...Approximately 15%20% of patients hospitalized for Lassa fever die from the illness; however, approximately... Read more
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