Lassa fever: First death confirmed in UK from new outbreak

Just 10 cases of Lassa fever have been reported in England since the 1980s

A person from Bedfordshire has died after catching Lassa fever, with the total number of confirmed cases in England now up to three, health officials have said.

All identified cases are from the same family in the east of England and are linked to recent travel to west Africa, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Two cases were announced earlier in the week. The third individual, who has now died, was initially placed under “investigation” for the acute viral illness. UKHSA reported their diagnosis and death on Friday.

The patient was being treated by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. A spokesperson said: “We confirm the sad death of a patient at our trust, who had confirmed Lassa fever. We send our deepest condolences to their family at this difficult time.

“We will continue to support the patient’s family and our staff and are working closely with colleagues from the UK Health Security Agency to undertake a robust contact tracing exercise.”

This is the third time that a death from Lassa fever has been recorded in the UK, but it is the first death from this outbreak.

One of the identified cases has recovered, while the other is being treated at the Royal Free London Foundation Trust, officials said.

UKHSA is contacting individuals who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection. The risk to the general public remains very low, the agency added.

“The UKHSA and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be reinforced,” said Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA.

Since 1980, there have been eight cases of Lassa fever imported into the UK, with the last two cases occurring in 2009.

Lassa fever is an illness caused by the Lassa virus, which usually infects people through exposure to food or household items that have been contaminated with the urine or faeces of infected rats. The virus can also be spread through infected bodily fluids.

People living in areas of west Africa with high populations of rodents are most at risk of Lassa fever, UKHSA said. Cases that occur elsewhere are “almost exclusively in people who work in endemic areas in high-risk occupations such as medical or other aid workers,” it added.

Most people with Lassa fever will make a full recovery. Only 1 per cent of all infections result in death. However, severe illness may occur in some individuals.

The illness is a viral haemorrhagic fever which means it can affect multiple organs in the body and may be accompanied by haemorrhage or bleeding.

Dr Melanie Saville, a vaccine expert at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, said the UK’s Lassa fever cases “are a stark reminder of our interconnected world and the need to continue invest in outbreak preparedness and response efforts”.

She added: “Emerging infectious diseases are increasing in prevalence, severity, and spread as a result of climate change, global transportation, and human encroachment into previously isolated areas.”

Dr Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said: “Lassa fever is a serious infection, but is nothing like as infectious as Covid-19. Previous studies have estimated the R number of Lassa to be roughly between 1.0 and 1.6.

“The original wildtype coronavirus at the start of this pandemic had an R number of about 3, and the variants have become increasingly infectious.”