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Lassa fever results in 5000 deaths each year in parts of West Africa, yet little is known about its natural history. To address this gap, researchers conducted a prospective study in two rural Liberian hospitals, enrolling 435 patients ≥5 years of age who were being admitted with either nonspecific febrile illness (362 patients) or suspected Lassa fever (73). All patients underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Lassa fever virus (LASV), and those who tested positive were followed for up to 1 year.
LASV was confirmed on PCR in 88 patients total: 11% of those admitted with nonspecific fever and 64% of those suspected of Lassa fever.
The most common symptoms reported in the first week of LASV were anorexia, fever,…