It is a Zoonotic viral disease. The Lassa fever-causing virus is found in West Africa and was first discovered in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria.
This is spread by the Rats, which are endemic to Sierra Leone, Liberia, guinea and Nigeria.
Although the disease has a low mortality rate, but it can have a high mortality rate in certain individuals (like: pregnant women).
Its symptoms usually appear after 1 to 3 weeks, which are asymptomatic in about 80% of cases, due to which timely diagnosis is not possible. Some patients with it may die as a result of multi-system disease within two weeks of the initial symptoms.
Common symptoms include mild fever, fatigue, weakness and headache, while more severe symptoms include bleeding, difficulty breathing, vomiting, swelling of the face, chest, back and abdominal pain.