Lassa Fever Public Health Advisory
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) caused by the Lassa virus. The natural reservoir for the virus is the Mastomys natalensis rodent (commonly known as the multimammate rat). Other rodents have also been identified who carry the virus.
Lassa fever remains a major public health challenge in West Africa with Nigeria bearing the highest burden. Lassa fever occurs throughout the year but more cases are recorded during the dry season i.e. November through May.
Lassa fever is spread through:
1. Direct contact with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats.
2. Contact with objects, household items, and surfaces or eating food, contaminated with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats.
3. Person to person transmission by contact with blood, urine, faeces, vomitus, and other body fluids of an infected person.
Signs and symptoms of Lassa fever:
Lassa fever presents initially like any other febrile illness such as malaria. Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains, chest pain, and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth and other body openings.
The time between infection and the appearance of symptoms of the disease is 3 to 21 days. Early treatment and diagnosis increase the chances of survival. People most at risk are:
– People of all age groups who come in contact with the urine, faeces, saliva or blood of rats
– People living in rat-infested environments which increases their chances of coming in
contact with rats
– People who consume potentially contaminated foodstuff especially those left open overnight or dried outside in the open
– People who handle or process rodents for consumption
– People who do not perform hand hygiene when appropriate
– Relatives who care for sick person with unexplained illnesses at home
– Health care workers including:
– – Doctors, nurses and other health workers providing direct patient care in the
absence of standard precautions.
– – Hospital staff who clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces, materials and
supplies without adequate protective gear
– – Laboratory staff who handle blood samples of suspected Lassa fever patients
without appropriate precautions
– – Medical or support staff who prepare and or handle dead bodies without
appropriate precautions.
To reduce the risk of Lassa fever, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) offers the
following advice:
• Ensure proper environmental sanitation – i.e. keep your environment clean at all times, block all holes in your house to prevent rats from entry.
• Cover your dustbins and dispose of refuse properly. Communities should setup dump sites very far from their homes to reduce the chances of having rodents within homes
• Store foodstuff like rice, garri, beans, corn/maize, etc. containers which are well covered with tight-fitting lids
• Avoid drying foodstuff outside on the floor, roadside where it will be exposed to contamination
• Avoid bush burning which can lead to the displacement of rats from bushes to human dwellings
• Eliminate rats in homes and communities by setting rat traps and other means
• Practice good personal hygiene by frequent washing hands with soap under running water/or use of hand sanitizers when appropriate
• Visit the nearest health facility if you notice any of the signs and symptoms of Lassa fever as mentioned earlier, avoid self-medication
• Healthcare workers are advised to practice standard precautions at all times: i.e. wearing gloves while handling patients or providing care to an ill patient/relative.
• Healthcare workers should maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever i.e. be vigilant and look out for signs and symptoms of Lassa fever.
Any febrile illness that has not responded to 48 hours of use of anti-malaria or antibiotics should raise an index of suspicion for Lassa fever! Please if your healthcare worker suspects Lassa fever, advise him or her to contact your local government disease surveillance and notification officer to access care in Nigeria.
This article was originally published by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.
For more information on Lassa Fever please visit www.ncdc.gov.ng
Mick Steven
12th June
Public Health Advisory to Nigerians on Novel Coronavirus
This is a public health advisory on a new virus; the novel coronavirus (nCoV), by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. As this is a new virus, and new information is emerging every day, this advisory will be updated as new information and research on the virus and its impact on populations become available.
The first case of a novel (new) coronavirus strain (2019nCoV) was confirmed in China on the 7th of January, 2020. According to preliminary investigations, most patients either visited or worked in the Huanan Seafood wholesale market, Wuhan city. Many of the initial cases were thought to have contracted the virus through animal-to-human transmission from the market, but human-to-human transmission has also been established. Global surveillance is being established and it is expected that more cases will be reported over the next weeks.
Wuhan city is a major transport hub in China. Beyond Wuhan, cases have been confirmed in other cities in China; Guangdong, Beijing, and Shanghai.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are normally transmitted between animals and people. A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain of the virus that has not been previously identified in humans. Some coronaviruses can be transmitted from person to person, usually after close contact with an infected patient, for example, in a household or health care setting. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
On January 30th 2020, the World Health Organization declared the 2019- novel coronavirus outbreak to be a Public Health Event of International Concern (PHEIC). This is because as of Jan. 30, there were 8,236 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China and 171 deaths, with another 112 cases identified outside of China in 21 other countries.
Symptoms
This new coronavirus, 2019nCoV, appears to cause mild to severe respiratory symptoms like cough and breathing difficulties. From current evidence, it appears that death is a rare outcome, and occurs mostly in patients with underlying illness.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for disease caused by the novel coronavirus yet. However, many of the symptoms can be treated. Therefore, treatment is based on the patient’s clinical condition. In addition, supportive care for infected persons can be highly effective.
How to protect yourself
To reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus, members of the public are advised to adhere to the following measures:
• Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water.
• Cover your mouth and nose properly with handkerchief or tissue paper when sneezing and/or coughing. You may also cough into your elbow if a handkerchief is not available.
• Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
• Avoid self-medication, report to the nearest health facility when you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms.
• Healthcare workers are always advised to observe standard infection prevention and control measures when attending to patients and take a travel history.
As the situation is evolving, this advisory will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article was originally published by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, for more information on the novel Coronavirus, please visit www.ncdc.gov.ng or
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Mick Steven
12th June
