**7. Prognosis**

Prognosis depends on how early a patient presents at the clinic. Most patients recover completely if diagnosed early and when treatment with ribavirin is commenced within 6 days of illness. In studies carried out in special referral centers in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, Lassa fever was responsible for 13% and 30% of adult deaths respectively. The death rates were in adult medical wards where only 7% and 10-16 % respectively of the total number of admissions were for Lassa fever. Prognosis is probably better in males who may acquire partial immunity due to the habit of patronizing food vendors. In a study done in Nigeria, the case fatality rate in males was 23% compared to women with 44%, though males were four times more commonly affected than females.
