Lassa fever, one of the deadliest diseases in the country that has not received the required attention from the authorities has within January 2022 alone killed 40 persons and infected four health workers. This was a report released by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) via its verified website this morning, lamenting that currently, the disease has threatened health workers response to the disease. Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever transmitted by rats. It has been known since the 1950s, but the virus was not identified until 1969, when two missionary nurses died from it in the town of Lassa, in Borno state, Nigeria.
The disease is prevalent in West Africa and has the potential to cause the death of persons in large numbers within a short period of time, that even after recovery the virus remains in the victim body fluid including semen.
Because of its being a communicable disease, neighbouring countries are at risk as to the animal responsible for carrying the virus “multimammate rat” (Mastomys natalensis) is distributed throughout the region.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that in January, this year alone, about 981 cases were reported with 40 deaths spread across 43 Local Government areas in 14 states.
NCDC disclosed that “Cumulatively from Week 1 to Week 4, 2022, 49 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate of 19.0 per cent.
The health agency said, “In total, for 2022, 14 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 43 local government areas. Of all confirmed cases, 82% are from the following states as follows – Ondo (30%), Edo (27%) and Bauchi (25%).
It explained “The predominant age-group affected is 21-30 years.
According to the report, “four health workers have been infected so far, 233 cases undergoing treatment, 617 cases undergoing contact tracing while 968 have been listed for follow up.”
NCDC added that the states reported having the cases include; Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Benue, Oyo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Kogi, Kaduna, Katsina, Ebonyi, Plateau, Cross River, Borno, Anambra, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Kebbi, Ogun, Kwara, Lagos, Delta, Gombe, FCT, Nasarawa, Rivers and Enugu.
Comparing the cases of the same period for the year 2021, the cases for this year has skyrocketed.
The disease is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus and is a disseminated systemic primary viral infection, the agency explained.
“The main feature of the fatal illness is impaired or delayed cellular immunity leading to fulminant viraemia.
“This is why health workers should maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever, be vigilant and look out for symptoms of Lassa fever. Not all fevers are malaria,” it added.
The public health agency revealed considering the health risk involved, it has activated emergency responses lines across the country.
Since its outbreak in the year 2016, the agency said the cases have been steadily rising, calling on Nigerians to be conscious of personal hygiene in their homes.
Meanwhile, the report said about 796 cases were reported in 2019 and it jumped to 1,165 in the year 2020 which was considered to be the peak of the pandemic.
NCDC warned the general public that the peak period of the season is between January and March, but data collected from Sierra Leone show between May and November as the peak.
According to clinical infection, a high index of suspicion, given the difficulties of clinical diagnosis, is needed when people present with a fever of unknown origin, with symptoms appearing up to 21 days after leaving the endemic area.
The disease can be transmitted through sexual intercourse as the traces of the virus remain in semen for three months or more after treatment and also from the excrete.
The health agency disclosed it is making effort to produce vaccines using a yellow fever vehicle very soon.
The possibility the virus could be deployed as a biological weapon has raised alarm for profiling the need for greater understanding of the disease to nip it in the bud. NAN
