Lassa fever

[ lah-suh ]

/ ˈlɑ sə /

noun Pathology.

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.

Origin of Lassa fever

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for lassa fever

Lassa fever

noun

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

Word Origin for Lassa fever

named after Lassa, the village in Nigeria where it was first identified

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for lassa fever

Lassa fever

[ lä′sə lăs′ə ]

n.

A highly fatal form of epidemic hemorrhagic fever caused by Lassa virus and characterized by high fever, sore throat, severe muscle aches, skin rash with hemorrhages, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.Lassa hemorrhagic fever