lassa fever
Low (used mainly in medical and public health contexts)Technical/Formal/Medical
Definition
Meaning
An acute viral hemorrhagic illness, endemic to parts of West Africa, caused by the Lassa virus and transmitted to humans from rodents.
A severe viral infection often characterized by fever, sore throat, muscle pain, vomiting, and potential haemorrhaging; part of a group of diseases known as viral haemorrhagic fevers with significant public health implications in endemic regions.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always capitalized as it is named after the town of Lassa, Nigeria, where it was first described. Refers specifically to the disease caused by the Lassa mammarenavirus.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Spelling typically aligns with regional preferences for '-our/-or' in related descriptive terms (e.g., haemorrhagic/hemorrhagic).
Connotations
Same in both varieties—clinical and serious.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both UK and US English, primarily appearing in specialized medical news and literature.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Patient] contracted Lassa fever in [Region].An outbreak of Lassa fever was reported.The treatment for Lassa fever involves [Medication].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in risk management for companies operating in West Africa.
Academic
Common in medical, virology, and epidemiology papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Rare, only in news reports about outbreaks.
Technical
Core term in medicine, public health, and infectious disease control.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The Lassa fever patient was isolated.
- The Lassa fever outbreak is concerning.
American English
- The patient tested positive for the Lassa fever virus.
- Lassa fever surveillance is critical.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Lassa fever is a serious disease.
- People can get very sick from Lassa fever.
- The doctor said the patient might have Lassa fever.
- Lassa fever is common in some parts of Africa.
- Health authorities are working to contain a new outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria.
- Early diagnosis of Lassa fever significantly improves the chances of survival.
- The case-fatality rate for Lassa fever can be as high as 15% among hospitalized patients.
- Ribavirin, an antiviral drug, is often used in the treatment of confirmed Lassa fever cases.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a LASS (a young woman) with a high FEVER in a village in Nigeria. She's sick with the disease first identified in LASSA, Nigeria.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE IS AN INVADER / FEVER IS A FIRE
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate 'Lassa' as a common noun. It is a proper name. In Russian, it is 'Лихорадка Ласса' (likhoradka Lassa).
Common Mistakes
- Writing it in lower case (lassa fever).
- Using it as a countable noun (e.g., 'a lassa fever' is incorrect; it's an uncountable noun referring to the disease state).
Practice
Quiz
Where is Lassa fever primarily endemic?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Lassa fever can spread between humans through direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person, but it is less contagious than diseases like measles or influenza.
The primary reservoir is the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis), a rodent common in West Africa.
There is no cure, but the antiviral drug ribavirin can be an effective treatment if administered early in the course of the illness.
It was first described in 1969 after cases occurred in the town of Lassa, in present-day Borno State, Nigeria.