The virus is similar to Ebola
A major incident has been declared in the East of England after hospital staff who treated a patient with Lassa fever were forced to isolate.
It comes after three cases of the Ebola-life virus were confirmed in the country by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with one patient dying.
Staff who were in direct contact with one of the three patients at a hospital in Cambridge have been advised to self-isolate.
But in a statement on Friday, the NHS reassured the public that the risk from Lassa fever “is very low” and that a major incident had been declared because of the impact the self-isolation periods will have on key services at the hospital.
The UKHSA also emphasised that the risk to the public is small.
An NHS spokesperson said: “Lassa fever is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids. It is not spread by air.
“UKHSA advice is that some staff at the hospitals where the patients have been treated may need to undergo testing and wear more personal protective equipment (PPE) than normal.
“Staff in direct contact with confirmed cases will have to self-isolate for a period of time. This is standard procedure and precautionary only.
Two individuals have been diagnosed with Lassa fever in England. The cases are within the same family and are linked to recent travel to West Africa. The risk to public health is very low.
Read more: https://t.co/9kUJ9TT5tQ #LassaFever #PublicHealth— UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) February 9, 2022
“Because of the impact this will have on staffing key services in our region we have declared a regional major incident. This allows the region’s healthcare systems to work together to keep services running safely.
“Some hospital services will be affected, with a number of services either postponed or moved to a different location. Patients that are affected by this will be contacted directly.”
The Health Service Journal says that Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was forced to close a “substantial” portion of its critical care beds because of staff being forced to self-isolate.
The first case of the virus was confirmed on Friday when a person from Bedfordshire sadly died. All of the identified cases are from the same family and are linked to recent travel from west Africa.
It is areas in this region with high populations of rodents that are most at risk from Lassa fever.
Before the emergence of these new cases, there had been just eight cases of Lassa fever imported to the UK since 1980, with the last two cases being reported in 2009.
Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, consultant in infectious diseases at the Royal Free London, said: “The Royal Free Hospital is a specialist centre for treating patients with viral haemorrhagic fevers, including Lassa fever.
“Our secure unit is run by a highly-trained and experienced team of doctors, nurses, therapists and laboratory staff and is designed to ensure our staff can safely treat patients with these kind of infections.”
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