Paris holiday warning: UK tourists warned as Ebola-like virus, Lassa fever, confirmed in holiday hotspot - what is the bug and its symptoms
A Paris holiday warning has been issued after a case of horrific Ebola-like virus, Lassa fever, has been reported in the region
UK holidaymakers have been issued a travel warning for Paris after a case of Lassa fever has been reported in the region. A soldier who had recently returned from abroad to Paris is currently being treated at the Bégin military hospital in Saint-Mandé.
Local health officials said that an “in-depth epidemiological investigation is underway to determine the persons who may have been in contact with him”, adding that his condition “does not give cause for concern”. It comes as Nigeria reported the worst outbreak of the virus on record last year with 9,155 suspected cases, 1,270 confirmed, and 227 deaths.
Lassa virus is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness which causes bleeding from the eyes, ears and mouth. It is transmitted to humans from rodents, and people can also pass it to each other.
The virus is in the same family as Ebola, but not as deadly or infectious. It has become endemic in a number of West African countries, including Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Three cases were reported in Britain in 2022 in a family who had returned from West Africa to Bedfordshire, with a newborn baby tragically dying from the virus. Most people with Lassa Fever make a full recovery, but some people can get severely ill.
It causes headaches, weakness, coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains and a sore throat. In severe cases, it can lead to internal bleeding, as well as breathing problems, facial swelling, chest pain and shock. It is spread through contact with the urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats, and is particularly prevalent in poorer communities.