Latest news with #LassaFever
Fox News
01-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
HHS halts work at high-risk infectious disease lab following repeated safety violations
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implemented a pause on research at one of the nation's most highly secure research labs, following repeated safety incidents that a source familiar told Fox News Digital have been occurring since the Biden administration. An HHS official confirmed the pause at Fort Detrick's Integrated Research Facility, which conducts risky research on deadly infectious diseases like SARS-COV-2 and the Ebola virus, began Tuesday at 5 p.m. The facility, which is one of only a handful across North America, is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and is located at the U.S. Army base Fort Detrick, outside Washington, D.C. The research there studies treatment and prevention of deadly, "high-consequence" diseases such as Lassa Fever and Eastern equine encephalitis. According to the HHS official who was willing to speak on the matter under the condition of anonymity, the pause stemmed from a lover's spat between researchers at the facility, which resulted in one of the individuals poking holes in the other's personal protective equipment (PPE). That individual has since been fired, the official indicated. The HHS official added that the incident is just the latest example of safety incidents at the high-risk laboratory, which they blamed on a poor safety culture at the lab enabled by the previous Biden administration. "NIH and HHS take the safety of our facilities and research very seriously," HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said. "As soon as we found out about this incident, we took immediate action to issue the safety pause until we can correct the safety culture at this facility." The latest incident, according to HHS, was preceded by a separate incident that occurred as recently as November. The facility's director, Connie Schmaljohn, was placed on administrative leave following the incident. The HHS official familiar with the matter indicated Schmaljohn did not report the incident up the chain of command immediately, causing a delay in remedying the matter. During this temporary pause, all research at the facility will come to a halt and access will be limited to essential personnel. It is unclear how long the pause will remain in effect.
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Lassa fever: Ebola-like virus found in person who travelled to the UK
A case of Lassa fever, a viral illness that can cause Ebola -like symptoms, has been confirmed in a person who recently travelled to England from Nigeria, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced. The individual travelled while experiencing symptoms and was subsequently diagnosed after returning to Nigeria. UKHSA is now working to trace and contact individuals who may have been in contact with the infected person during their time in England. What is Lassa Fever? Lassa fever does not spread easily between people and the overall risk to the public is regarded as 'very low'. The virus, which is endemic in parts of West Africa, particularly Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, is carried by a particular type of rodent, called the Mastomys rodent. The most common way people catch the virus in these countries is through eating contaminated food or breathing in the virus. Some people can also be infected from the droppings of infected rodents, such as on floors, surfaces, or in food or water. Some people eat Mastomys, and they may catch Lassa virus this way. While the virus does not spread easily between people, it can be transferred through blood, saliva, urine or semen. Most people who get Lassa fever have mild symptoms such as fever, feeling weak, headache and sore throat, and recover. More serious symptoms include bleeding, difficulty breathing, vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back and stomach. Dr Meera Chand, deputy director at UKHSA, said: 'Our health protection teams are working at pace to get in touch with people who were in contact with this individual while they were in England, to ensure they seek appropriate medical care and testing should they develop any symptoms. 'The infection does not spread easily between people, and the overall risk to the UK population is very low.' Symptoms usually occur between one and three weeks after having contact with Lassa virus.
