The peak season for Lassa
fever in West Africa is about to begin. The viral haemorrhagic fever
has been largely forgotten in the Ebola crisis, and health workers are
warning that they may not have the resources to deal with the disease if
cases increase. At first sight the symptoms of Lassa are identical to Ebola.
There can be bleeding, vomiting and fever. But whereas Ebola is a new
outbreak, Lassa is a constant presence. Every year it infects from
300,000 to 500,000 people, killing up to 20,000.
The question is - what is it with media projection of these outbreaks in Africa. If Lassa fever was killing upto 20,000 a year, why didnt it get as much coverage as the Ebola outbreak
1 comment:
The media decide on what to give a boost. Lassa fever is just as bad as Ebola. Maybe the spread rate of Ebola is the major cause for concern
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