Disease Information for Lassa fever: Definition

An acute febrile human disease caused by the LASSA VIRUS;

viral hemorrhagic fever; 3-16 day incubation; major hepatitis effect minor hepatitis, nephropathy or encephalitis effect;----------------------------------------------------- LASSA FEVER Lassa fever is a common febrile illness in West Africa, with as many as 300,000 cases and 5000 deaths annually; Lassa fever may account for as much as 10% of febrile children admitted to hospitals in disease-endemic areas; The disease is characterized by insidious onset of fever, weakness, myalgia, and generalized malaise followed by lower backache, substernal chest pain or epigastric pain, dizziness, cough, and gastrointestinal symptoms; Purulent pharyngitis, conjunctivitis, edema (particularly of the head and neck), and mucosal bleeding are highly specific signs of Lassa fever; Fulminant disease is marked by hypovolemic shock, facial and neck edema, encephalopathy, and respiratory distress from laryngeal edema, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and pulmonary edema; Permanent sensorineural hearing loss can be a late sequela; A highly characteristic syndrome of children younger than 2 years of age caused by Lassa fever is swollen baby syndrome; The disorder is identified by widespread edema, abdominal distention, and bleeding; ----------------[Rudolph"s Pediatrics 2002]--------------

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