Ebola intensifies the struggle to cope with Lassa fever - BBC

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. BBC’s Camila Ruz reports. 

Earth Tribune did a similar story on October 22 after Nigeria was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO)

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. 

All of the countries worst hit by Ebola are home to Lassa fever. On Friday, Dr Geraldine O'Hara from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) told the BBC that one of her colleagues had died of Lassa despite all efforts to save her. 

 

 

Dr Khan, head of the Lassa fever programme at Kenema Government Hospital Sierra Leone died of Ebola in September.

"Warming is "unequivocal" and the human influence on climate is clear"- IPCC's Synthesis Report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the unrestricted use of fossil fuels should be phased out by 2100 if the world is to avoid dangerous climate change, BBC reports.

UN-backed expert panel said in a stark report that most of the world's electricity can - and must - be produced from low-carbon sources by 2050. If not, the world faces "severe, pervasive and irreversible" damage. The UN said inaction would cost "much more" than taking the necessary action.