Lassa fever history and symptoms
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Diagnosis |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2]; Ammu Susheela, M.D. [3]
Synonyms and keywords: Lassa hemorrhagic fever; LHF
Overview
Lassa fever after an incubation period of six to twenty-one days, manifest as an acute illness with multiorgan involvement and patients present with gastrointestinal, neurological and pulmonary symptoms.
Common Symptoms
Common symptoms of Lassa fever are often non-specific symptoms that resemble symptoms of other viral infections:
- Fever and chills
- Headache
- Malaise
- Myalgia
- Arthralgia
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Sore throat
- Back pain
- Cough
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea (may be bloody)
- Conjunctival injection and conjunctival hemorrhage
- Mucosal bleeding
- Hearing loss
The following graph demonstrates the common and rare symptoms associated with Lassa fever:
Less Common Symptoms
Less common symptoms of Lassa fever usually develop late and are often associated with a more severe course of disease.
Skin
- Jaundic
HEENT
Gastrointestinal tract
Cardiovascular system
Respiratory tract
Nervous system
Diagnosis
The current case definition for suspecting Lassa fever is as follows:[1]
| Unexplained fever at least 38oC or 100.4oF for one week or more |
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| And 1 of the following: |
| ▸ No response to standard treatment with the choice of regimen for most likely cause of fever (malaria, typhoid fever). |
| ▸ Readmitted within 3 weeks of inpatient care for an illness with fever. |
| And 1 of the following |
| ▸ Edema or bleeding. |
| ▸ Sore throat and retrosternal pain/vomiting. |
| ▸ Spontaneous abortion following fever. |
| ▸ Hearing loss following fever. |