Description
Lassa virus causes acute viral hemorrhagic fever and was first reported in 1969 in the town of Lassa, in Borno State,Nigeria. Lassa virus belongs to Arenaviridae virus family. Natal multimammate mouse is the primary animal hold of lassa virus, found in sub-Saharan Africa. The virus is transmitted by contact with the feces or urine of animals, giving its high rate of incidence.
Lassa fever occurs commonly in West Africa. It results in 300,000 to 500,000 cases annually and causes about 5,000 deaths each year. Outbreaks of the disease have been observed in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Central African Republic