Sensorineural hearing loss in Lassa fever: two case reports

• DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-3-36
• Publication Date: 2009-01-29
• Authors: Titus S. Ibekwe; George O. Akpede; Peter O. Okokhere
• Keywords: Lassa fever; Lassa virus; Viral hemorrhagic fever

Lassa fever is an acute arena viral haemorrhagic fever with varied neurological sequelae. Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the rare complications which occur usually during the convalescent stage of the infection. The cases of two female patients aged 19 and 43 years old, respectively, with clinical features suggestive of Lassa fever and confirmed by immunoserological/Lassa-virus-specific reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction are presented. Both patients developed severe sensorineural hearing loss at acute phases of the infections. Sensorineural hearing loss from Lassa fever infections can occur in both acute and convalescent stages and is probably induced by an immune response.