What is Lassa fever? Everything to know about Ebola-like virus and its symptoms after Iowa resident's death

Lassa fever has reached nan US for nan first clip successful a decade, successful a lawsuit that has surprised wellness officials.

The middle-aged diligent successful Iowa, who was not identified, died a 'short time' aft being hospitalized pinch nan disease, which tin origin bleeding from nan eyes and seizures.

The diligent had conscionable returned to nan US from West Africa, wherever nan illness is endemic and down an outbreak successful Nigeria, wherever a full of 9,500 suspected and confirmed cases were reported this year.

Health officials from nan CDC and Iowa Department of Health said nan diligent had nary symptoms while traveling, adding nan consequence of transmission was 'extremely low' arsenic group are only contagious erstwhile they person symptoms.

They did not uncover erstwhile nan diligent started to suffer symptoms, aliases erstwhile they returned to Iowa, and did not opportunity whether location were immoderate adjacent contacts.

However, nan Iowa lawsuit still sparked concerns among wellness experts.

Below, DailyMail.com specifications everything you should cognize astir Lassa fever: 

What is Lassa fever?

Lassa fever is simply a terrible viral unwellness that leaves patients suffering from symptoms wrong a week to 3 weeks of infection.

The illness is endemic to West African countries including Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria - wherever it is spreading. 

Experts opportunity this whitethorn beryllium owed to a proliferation successful nan number of rodents successful nan state that transportation nan infection, called Mastomys rats, raising nan consequence of a quality infection. 

But location are besides sporadic cases recorded extracurricular of Africa, which are linked to group walking from nan region.

Lassa Fever was first discovered successful 1969 aft 2 missionary nurses died successful nan Nigerian municipality of Lassa from a mysterious illness.

There person been 9 cases recorded successful nan US to date, pinch each linked to caller recreation from different country.

How do you drawback Lassa fever?

Lassa fever is simply a microorganism carried by Mastomys rats, a type of rodents communal crossed sub-Saharan Africa, and it causes nary symptoms successful nan rodents.

People drawback nan illness by rubbing surfaces contaminated pinch nan urine, droppings aliases saliva from nan rats and past rubbing their mouths.

They tin besides go infected aft eating foods contaminated by rats aliases if nan microorganism gets into an unfastened trim aliases sore.

Human-to-human transmission tin hap only if personification starts to show symptoms of nan virus, which thin to statesman wrong a week of infection.

It tin beryllium passed connected via rubbing nan individual's feces, blood, urine aliases saliva and past rubbing your ain rima aliases eating contaminated food.

A personification cannot dispersed nan illness if they are showing nary signs of infection. 

How deadly is it?

Around 15 percent of patients pinch terrible illness dice from Lassa fever, nan World Health Organization suggests.

But Dr Robert Garry, a professor astatine Tulane Medical School successful New Orleans, suggested to STAT News the fatality complaint successful terrible cases tin beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic 70 percent successful immoderate areas wherever it is difficult to get capable treatment.

Dr Garry was basing his higher estimation connected his acquisition moving successful Sierra Leone, wherever nan microorganism is endemic and wherever he has respective investigation projects.

Scientists pass children nether 10 years aged and pregnant women are peculiarly astatine consequence of nan illness because they person weaker immune systems. For pregnant women, information shows much than 95 percent of them miscarry their fetus.

In an infection, Lassa fever attacks aggregate organ systems successful nan body, including nan liver, spleen, kidneys and lining of humor vessels.

This tin origin inflammation successful nan organs and extremity them from moving properly, starring to nan decease of nan patient. 

What are nan symptoms?

The World Health Organization says astir 80 percent of group infected pinch nan microorganism person nary symptoms, meaning tin not dispersed it.

Warning signs thin to statesman astir a week to 3 weeks aft infection.

In nan early stages, patients whitethorn suffer from a flimsy fever, emotion tired and weak, and a headache — akin to different hemorrhagic fevers for illustration Ebola and malaria.

But successful later stages, particularly if a diligent is not treated, nan individual whitethorn suffer from much superior symptoms specified arsenic bleeding from nan eyes, vomiting, trouble breathing, facial swelling and symptom successful nan chest, backmost and abdomen.

How is it detected?

Doctors opportunity diagnosing Lassa fever tin beryllium difficult to diagnose because symptoms alteration and are akin to those caused by different diseases.

In nan early stages, symptoms whitethorn look akin to those for malaria, shigellosis, typhoid fever and yellowish fever. 

To diagnose an infection, nan World Health Organization says samples from nan diligent request to beryllium tested successful a precocious level bio-safety laboratory to corroborate — and incorporate — nan infection.

Bodily fluids, specified arsenic saliva, humor aliases urine, are tested for nan virus, and successful immoderate cases, fluids taken via spinal pat are besides tested.

Is location a vaccine?

Doctors usage nan antiviral supplier Ribavirin to dainty patients suffering from nan disease. It is astir effective erstwhile administered soon aft a diligent shows symptoms.

The CDC besides recommends anyone diagnosed pinch nan illness receives rest, hydration and different narcotics to negociate their symptoms.

The World Health Organization says location is presently nary vaccine against nan virus, and that efforts should alternatively attraction connected prevention.

This relies connected 'good hygiene' and discouraging rodents from entering homes, nan agency said.

This whitethorn see storing nutrient successful rodent-proof containers, disposing of garbage acold from nan home, maintaining a cleanable location and keeping cats, which prey connected rats.

Can Lassa fever lead to complications?

The CDC says astir 1 successful 3 group infected pinch nan microorganism are near pinch proceeding nonaccomplishment aft nan first infection resolves.

The agency warns this tin hap successful some mild and mean cases of nan disease.

The CDC besides warns that if a pregnant female is infected, location is simply a precocious consequence of a miscarriage and astir 95 percent of fetuses do not survive.

Am I astatine consequence of catching Lassa fever? 

There person been 9 cases of nan illness recorded successful nan US since 1969, including nan Iowa diligent this week.

Each was linked to caller overseas travel, pinch patients becoming sick soon aft they returned to nan US. There was nary consequent transmission.

The lawsuit earlier nan latest was recorded successful May 2015 successful a New Jersey resident who had precocious traveled to Liberia. The diligent besides died.

Overall, retired of nan 9 patients diagnosed successful nan US astatine slightest 3 person died.

Others survived but reported being near partially deaf and regularly suffering from bouts of symptom and terrible fatigue.

Experts opportunity nan consequence from Lassa fever to Americans is low, and location are nary signs it has dispersed successful nan US.

But they pass location is simply a consequence of infection if personification visits a West African state wherever nan illness is endemic.

The UK besides recorded 2 cases of nan illness successful February 2022 successful travelers who were returning from Mali.

There was different lawsuit successful nan UK successful 2009, successful a 66-year-old man who had precocious returned to Britain from Abuja successful Nigeria.

How is nan US managing nan caller case?

Officials successful Iowa isolated nan diligent astatine a master illness infirmary aft they came guardant pinch their symptoms.

The individual was described arsenic only having a 'short illness' earlier dying.

No further specifications person been revealed, and nan CDC says nan consequence nan microorganism has dispersed is 'low.'