Constraints in the diagnosis and treatment of Lassa Fever and the effect on mortality in hospitalized children and women with obstetric conditions in a rural district hospital in Sierra Leone

Lassa fever (LF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic infection, endemic in West Africa. Confirmatory diagnosis and treatment (ribavirin) is difficult, expensive, and restricted to specialised hospitals. Among confirmed and suspected LF cases, we report on clinical and laboratory features, timing and administration of ribavirin and the relationship with case fatality.