Two cases of 'eye bleeding' rat-borne Lassa Fever discovered in the UK

Mere hours after the Prime Minister announced the impending removal of remaining Covid restrictions in England, two Britons were diagnosed with Lassa fever, a viral haemorrhagic disease similar to Ebola.

A further probable case of Lassa fever is also under investigation. The cases are within the same family in the east of England and are linked to recent travel to West Africa.

Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus. People usually become infected with Lassa virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats. The virus can also be spread through infected bodily fluids.

Prior to these two cases, there have been eight cases of Lassa fever imported to the UK since 1980. The last 2 cases occurred in 2009.

Lassa fever is endemic in a number of countries including Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Ghana. It kills roughly 15% of those who are hospitalised, though is milder than other haemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola.

The symptoms start with fever but gradually expand to include, headaches, muscle pain and vomiting. If you get it really bad, then your face may swell up, lungs could fill with fluid and your eyes and anus could begin to bleed.

The antiviral drug ribavirin is used as a way to effectively treat Lassa fever if given early on in the course of clinical illness. There is currently no vaccine that protects against Lassa fever

Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA said: “We can confirm that 2 cases of Lassa fever have been identified in England, and a further probable case is under investigation.

“The cases are within the same family and are linked to recent travel to West Africa”, she said.

But the next pandemic may not look like Covid-19. Alongside Lassa fever, the WHO’s list of priority pathogens with pandemic potential includes Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Ebola and Marburg.