How to Spot Lassa Virus Symptoms Before It’s Too Late!

Lassa fever is caused by the Lassa virus and can show a bunch of symptoms that look like other illnesses, like malaria or typhoid. This can make it tough to spot early on. Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

Early Stage (1–7 days after exposure):

High fever, feeling super tired, headache, sore throat.

Muscle aches, chest pain, nausea, and diarrhea.

Progressive Stage (Days 8–14):

Swelling in the face, red eyes, belly pain, vomiting.

Bleeding from gums, nose, or eyes (this is serious).

Low blood pressure, shock, and possible hearing loss (which might be permanent).

Severe Cases:

Failure of organs (like liver, kidneys, lungs), seizures, coma.

Pregnant women in their third trimester are at high risk, with a chance of maternal death (up to 80%) and losing the baby.

Key Facts:

• 80% of infections are mild or don’t show any symptoms.

• 1 in 5 infections can turn into severe, life-threatening issues.

• People who survive might deal with long-term problems like deafness.

  
  

When to Act: If you start feeling these symptoms after traveling to West Africa (like Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea), get medical help right away and tell them about your travel history. Early treatment with ribavirin can help improve your chances of survival. (To stay informed check out WHO or CDC page! )