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University of Nebraska Medical Center

Lassa Fever

Explore this page for Lassa Fever information, resources, and news. Lassa Fever virus

About Lassa Fever

According to the CDC, "Lassa fever is a severe viral illness that comes on quickly once someone is infected. It is spread by the "multimammate rat" or Mastomys natalensis (Mastomys), which is found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, only West African multimammate rats are known to carry Lassa virus.

Lassa fever is found in parts of West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. People who live in neighboring countries are also at risk because the rat that spreads Lassa fever lives throughout the region."