Lassa fever /lä″sə/ [Lassa, Nigeria; L, febris, fever] , a highly contagious disease of West Africa caused by an arenavirus. It is transmitted by contact with or inhalation of excreta of infected rodents. Person-to-person transmission occurs through contact with infected blood, secretions, or excreta, or transmission may be airborne. See also Arenavirus, Argentine hemorrhagic fever, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. ▪ OBSERVATIONS: Lassa fever is characterized by fever, pharyngitis, dysphagia, and ecchymoses. Varying degrees of deafness occur in one third of cases. Pleural effusion, edema and renal involvement, mental disorientation, confusion, and death from cardiac failure often ensue. ▪ INTERVENTIONS: Early treatment with ribavirin and supportive symptomatic care are essential. ▪ PATIENT CARE CONSIDERATIONS: Lassa fever is common in West Africa but rarely seen in North America. A case was reported in New Jersey in 2015 following travel to Africa.
