Lassa Fever: The UK reports first death, sparks concerns

United Kingdom: The world has been already battling with the surge of the coronavirus; some countries are dealing with the threat of its Omicron variant as it is causing an increase in the number of infections.

On Tuesday, the death of one person due to the Lassa fever in the United Kingdom has sparked concern, according to the statics by the UK Health authority. The health authority further announced the first three cases because of the virus since the year 2009.

The patient lost his life at Bedfordshire Hospital, north of London. Reportedly, the infected people belonged to the same family of eastern England, having a travelling history of West Africa.

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that the people associated with the patients have been traced with a view to “appropriate assessment, support and advice. The risk to the general public remains very low”.

The Health Security Agency said that two more people had been diagnosed with Lassa Fever, one of which has been recovered. The second patient has been receiving treatment at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in north London as the hospital has a separate unit for the treatment of viral haemorrhagic fevers.

The deceased person was earlier treated as a suspected case in the NHS Foundation Trust, and the case was confirmed by the hospital through a press release.

Nigerians have been witnessing a surge in the cases related to the virus, and the number of deaths related to the virus has also increased. According to the health experts, the number of infections climbed in the year’s starting in a phenomenon linked to the dry season.

According to the UKHSA, Lassa fever belongs to the same family as the Ebola and Marburg viruses and is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness. As per the health agency, it is much less deadly than Ebola and Marburg viruses.

The virus was named as the virus was discovered from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria in the year 1969.