Lassa Fever Claims 3 Lives in UK: All You Need To Know About It

For a world grappling with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the news of a fresh virus has spared concern. The Lassa fever has claimed three lives in the United Kingdom, and the country's health officials have said that it has “pandemic potential”. Eight cases of the Lassa fever have been reported in the UK since the 1980s, with the last two coming in 2009.

What is Lassa fever?

According to United States' Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it is an animal-borne, or zoonotic, acute viral illness.

The haemorrhagic illness is caused by Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses.