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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
The Ministry of Health announced yesterday that a soldier returning from abroad is hospitalized in France, suffering from Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever. What you need to know about this case, with Dr. Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo.
There is currently a case of Lassa fever on French soil. The announcement was made yesterday by the Ministry of Health, confirming information from May 1. The patient is a soldier returning from a stay abroad, and currently being treated at the Bégin military hospital in Saint-Mandé.
“His state of health does not cause concern”however adds the ministry, emphasizing that “the authorities are fully mobilized in the search for people who have had risky contact with the patient” and that an “epidemiological investigation” is in progress.
A virus transmissible from man to man, but a patient taken care of
As explained in the official press release, Lassa fever is a notifiable viral hemorrhagic fever caused by an arenavirus, the Lassa virus. The condition is usually present in West Africa and is transmitted between men during direct contact. “with the blood, urine, excrement or other organic secretions of a contaminated person”. The risk of secondary cases occurring is therefore limited to people who have had direct contact with the patient’s biological fluids, in particular healthcare personnel who took care of them.
Regarding the French patient, his contact cases have already been notified by the authorities. “They are asked, in the event of the appearance of symptoms including fever, to isolate themselves and contact the doctor in charge of their follow-up. You should monitor the appearance of symptoms for 21 days after the last risky contact”describes the ministry.
The disease appears between 6 and 21 days after infection and the symptoms can be:
- Fever ;
- Vomitings ;
- Nausea ;
- Headaches.
Even if the majority of cases (80%) are asymptomatic.
Worldwide, 5 to 6,000 people die from Lassa fever each year, indicates the Pasteur Institute on its website, and no vaccine is currently available.
Press release 🗞️ | A case of Lassa fever confirmed in Île-de-France: health authorities fully mobilized ⤵️
— Ministry of Health and Prevention (@Sante_Gouv) May 2, 2024
Dr Gérald Kierzek: ‘We have to get used to it, but we know how to manage’
However, should we be worried about discovering this virus on French soil? Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, is not really surprised by this isolated case, but remains measured.
“It is a virus that is transmitted from person to person, but in this case it is not an autochthonous contamination. Only hospital staff risk transmission. And even ! The patient is taken care of by a military hospital, which is used to managing people returning from endemic areas and which knows how to do so. There is very little risk of transmission.”
Our expert also reminds us that this type of case is not that new or extraordinary: “Either way, we’ll have to get used to these announcements. These are not new viruses, but known viruses that are endemic in West Africa and which, like Crimean Congo hemorrhagic feverare arriving here for reasons of travel and global warming. Episodic cases that French medicine knows how to manage.