UK records two cases of Ebola-like virus that can cause bleeding and seizures
dailystar.co.ukEbola-like virus that can cause vaginal bleeding and seizures hit its shores for the first time in over a decade.The two Lassa fever cases – which kills around one in 100 people – were detected in members of the same family in the East of England, while a third relative is also suspected of having the disease.They are among only 10 cases of the rodent-borne disease ever detected in the UK and the first since 2009.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) stressed there was no evidence of further transmission. One of the patients has already made a full recovery, while the second is being moved to the Royal Free Hospital in London to receive specialist care.
Lassa fever is endemic in countries in west Africa, such as Nigeria, Liberia and Guinea. People usually become infected after exposure to food or household items that are contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats.
But the virus, which can make women bleed from their vagina and trigger seizures, can also be transmitted via bodily fluids.
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