An NHS hospital ward (Peter Byrne/PA)
(PA Wire)
The UK has reported its first death in relation to Lassa fever after three cases were confirmed in the country this week, health officials have announced.
All three infections were discovered within the same family from the east of England and were linked to recent travel to West Africa.
The risk to public health from Lassa fever is very low, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced.
Unlike Covid-19, the virus is not transmitted via airborne infection, but through contact with infected bodily fluids.
Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton, said: “Lassa fever is a serious infection, but is nothing like as infectious as COVID-19. Previous studies have estimated the R number of Lassa to be roughly between 1.0 and 1.6.
Due to testing and a drive for worker’s in hospitals dealing with Lassa fever cases to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), the health service in the east of England has declared a major incident.
“Because of the impact this will have on staffing key services in our region we have declared a regional major incident. This allows the region’s healthcare systems to work together to keep services running safely,” NHS east of England said.
“Some hospital services will be affected, with a number of services either postponed or moved to a different location. Patients that are affected by this will be contacted directly.”
Scale of transmission will not be ‘anything like’ Covid-19 pandemic, says global health expert
The transmission of Lassa fever will not reach the scale witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic, a global health expert has said, but added the active cases in the UK are still cause for concern.
Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton, said: “Lassa fever is a serious infection, but is nothing like as infectious as COVID-19. Previous studies have estimated the R number of Lassa to be roughly between 1.0 and 1.6.
“The original wildtype coronavirus at the start of this pandemic had an R number of about 3, and the variants have become increasingly infectious. With the reported death, of course any Lassa cases within the UK are of concern. However, we won’t be seeing transmission anything like the scale we have with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the risks to the wider public are very low.
He added: “The reporting has so far suggested the cases have a recent travel history from West Africa. There is an ongoing outbreak in Nigeria at the moment, with 911 suspected cases, 211 confirmed cases, and 40 deaths.”
Emily Atkinson11 February 2022 18:43
Breaking: Major incident declared at hospital after more cases
The NHS in the East of England has declared a major incident after a patient was treated in a hospital in Cambridge for Lassa fever forcing staff to self isolate.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Friday confirmed the first death from Lassa fever had occurred and a third case from the East of England identified. The public health authority have advised staff who were in direct contact with one of the three patients to self-isolated.
In a statement on Friday the NHS said: “The risk to public health from Lassa fever is very low. Lassa fever is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids. It is not spread by air.”
Our health correspondent, Rebecca Thomas, has more:
Emily Atkinson11 February 2022 18:36
Critical care staff in east of England may need to isolate for up to three weeks, reports suggest
Emily Atkinson11 February 2022 18:34
