Lassa fever

American  

[lah-suh] / ˈlɑ sə /

noun

Pathology.

1. a highly contagious viral disease, largely confined to central West Africa, characterized by fever, difficulty in swallowing, and inflammation of the pharynx, often progressing to infect the lungs, heart, and kidneys, leading to death.

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Lassa fever British  

noun

1. a serious viral disease of Central West Africa, characterized by high fever and muscular pains

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Etymology

Origin of Lassa fever

First recorded in 1965–70; after Lassa, Nigeria, village where it was first identified

Example Sentences

UK officials are checking for any possible cases of Lassa fever after a traveller to England, who has since returned to Nigeria, is known to have been infected.

From BBC

Not long after, he was sent to Sierra Leone to help investigate an outbreak of Lassa fever, a virulent hemorrhagic virus.

From New York Times

The work could lay the foundation for better treatments for Lassa fever and other similar diseases.

From Science Daily

Multiple promising studies have identified antibody drugs that could prevent malaria, treat a hemorrhagic illness called Lassa fever or block Zika.

From Washington Post

Diseases like cholera and Lassa fever were linked to human movement after storms and floods.

From The Verge