African Lassa fever outbreak in Britain

A person in the UK has died after contracting Lassa fever, health
officials have said (https://bit.ly/3sCOYUL).
Two cases were announced earlier this week with a third individual
under investigation. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
confirmed on Friday that the third case was Lassa fever and the
patient had died.
The cases are within the same family and are linked to recent travel
to west Africa. They are the first cases identified in the UK since
2009.
The patient was being treated by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust.
A spokesperson said: "We confirm the sad death of a patient
at our trust, who had confirmed Lassa fever. We send our deepest
condolences to their family at this difficult time.
"We will continue to support the patient’s family and our staff and
are working closely with colleagues from the UK Health Security
Agency to undertake a robust contact tracing exercise".
One of the cases has recovered, while the other will receive
specialist care at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Lassa fever is a viral illness caused by Lassa virus which occurs
mostly in countries in west Africa, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone,
Mali, Liberia and Guinea. It’s transmitted to humans mainly through
food or household items contaminated by infected rats’ urine and
faeces.
The most common symptoms include gradual onset of fever, malaise
and general weakness, according to the World Health Organisation
(WHO), and this can progress to headaches, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Various degrees of deafness also occur in 25 per cent of recovered
patients, although for half of this group, it will return after one to three
months.
In the most severe cases, facial swelling, fluid in the lungs,
bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract, and
low blood pressure may present as symptoms, according to the WHO.
"Cases of Lassa fever are rare in the UK and it does not spread easily
between people. The overall risk to the public is very low," said Dr
Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA.
In 2019, EU/EEA countries reported just two cases.
The virus can be spread between humans, but only through bodily
fluids. Before these recent cases there have only been eight cases of
lassa fever imported to the UK since 1980.
Where there are infections though, it can have serious outcomes.
Around 1 per cent of cases prove fatal, with death happening within
14 days.
Lassa fever is especially severe late in pregnancy, with maternal
death and/or foetal loss occurring in more than 80 per cent of cases
during the third trimester. However, 80 per cent of those infected
have no symptoms.
Because the symptoms of Lassa fever are so varied and non-specific,
clinical diagnosis is often difficult, especially early in the course of
the disease. And there is currently no vaccine against it.
While it may not be a cause for concern in Europe, it remains endemic
in west Africa and there are 100,000 to 300,000 Lassa fever cases
estimated to be diagnosed each year.