Table 1.

The classical clinical course of Lassa fever

Stage	Symptoms
1 (days 1–3)	General weakness and malaise. High fever, >39°C, constant with peaks of 40–41°C
2 (days 4–7)	Sore throat (with white exudative patches) very common; headache; back, chest, side, or abdominal pain; conjunctivitis; nausea and vomiting; diarrhoea; productive cough; proteinuria; low blood pressure (systolic <100 mm Hg); anaemia
3 (after 7 days)	Facial oedema; convulsions; mucosal bleeding (mouth, nose, eyes); internal bleeding; confusion or disorientation
4 (after 14 days)	Coma and death

The above data shows the usual pattern of the dramatic course of Lass fever disease within 2 weeks of patient becoming symptomatic. Source; [Reference 20] Merlin. ‘Licking' Lassa fever: a strategic review. London: Merlin, 2002 (http://www.merlin.org.uk/uploads/files/pr/Lassa%20Fever%20Strategy%202.pdf)