Medical Express A new study led by researchers at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill shows an urgent need for improved detection and treatment of Lassa fever, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Lassa fever—a severe Ebola-like illness designated by the World Health Organization as being among the world’s top pandemic threats—causes thousands of deaths each year, mainly in Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Spread primarily by rodents, the virus can also be transmitted person-to-person through direct contact with blood, body fluids, or secretions of infected individuals.
Beyond West Africa, more than 32 imported cases have been reported globally, including to the US, one-third of which were fatal, highlighting its international significance.
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