Editing Lassa fever (section)

==Prognosis==
About 15–20% of hospitalized people with Lassa fever will die from the illness. The overall case fatality rate is estimated to be 1%, but during [[epidemic]]s, mortality can climb as high as 50%. The mortality rate is greater than 80% when it occurs in pregnant women during their third trimester; fetal death also occurs in nearly all those cases. Abortion decreases the risk of death to the mother.<ref>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/lassa/symptoms/index.html "Lassa Fever, Signs and Symptoms"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709214337/https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/lassa/symptoms/index.html |date=9 July 2017 }}</ref> Some survivors experience lasting effects of the disease,<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1136/bmj.285.6347.1001 | last1 = Emond | first1 = R. T. | last2 = Bannister | first2 = B. | last3 = Lloyd | first3 = G. | last4 = Southee | first4 = T. J. | last5 = Bowen | first5 = E. T. | title = A case of Lassa fever: Clinical and virological findings | journal = British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.) | volume = 285 | issue = 6347 | pages = 1001–1002 | year = 1982 | pmid = 6812716 | pmc = 1500383}}</ref> and can include partial or complete deafness.<ref name=WHO2016/>

Because of treatment with [[ribavirin]], fatality rates have declined.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs179/en/|title=Lassa fever|website=World Health Organization|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-09-11|archive-date=1 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101083748/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs179/en/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=McCormick|first1=J. B.|last2=King|first2=I. J.|last3=Webb|first3=P. A.|last4=Scribner|first4=C. L.|last5=Craven|first5=R. B.|last6=Johnson|first6=K. M.|last7=Elliott|first7=L. H.|last8=Belmont-Williams|first8=R.|date=1986-01-02|title=Lassa fever. Effective therapy with ribavirin|journal=The New England Journal of Medicine|volume=314|issue=1|pages=20–26|doi=10.1056/NEJM198601023140104|issn=0028-4793|pmid=3940312}}</ref>