What Are The Major Types Of Hemorrhagic Fever?

Lassa Fever

Caused by the Lassa virus, Lassa fever is found in West African nations such as Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Liberia. It is carried by the multimammate rat and transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodent feces or urine. Scientists estimate there are between 100,000 and 300,000 cases of Lassa fever each year, and around five thousand of these are fatal. Symptoms typically develop within one to three weeks of infection, and roughly eighty percent of patients experience only mild symptoms. They include a low-grade fever, general malaise, and headaches. Approximately twenty percent of Lassa virus infections will produce severe symptoms. Signs of a severe infection include chest pain, bleeding from the gums or eyes, abdominal pain, swelling of the face, and repeated episodes of vomiting. Patients may also develop hearing loss, tremors, and swelling of the brain. Used in conjunction with supportive treatments, ribavirin is effective in treating Lassa fever, and doctors recommend that it be administered in the early stages of the infection.