What are the symptoms of Lassa fever?
• Disease begins with fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain, chest and abdominal pain and general malaise. Fever can occur constantly or in peaks. In some cases the tonsils and throat become inflamed with white patches and small ulcers. • More severe symptoms include hypotension or shock, haemorrhage, pleural effusion (fluid in the lung cavity), proteinuria (protein in the urine), conjunctivitis, swelling of the face and neck, and mucosal bleeding. • Neurological problems can also occur, such as seizures, encephalopathy (brain dysfunction) and tremors. Hearing loss occurs in around 25% of patients and persists for life in up to a third of those affected.
