Three persons have lost their lives in what appears to be a reemergence of Lassa fever epidemic. The National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) and the Ministry of Health, have confirmed all three cases of the deadly disease in Montserrado and Nimba counties.
According to a release by the Ministry of Health, the victims were given a safe and dignified interment. The county health teams are now doing contact tracing on both community members and healthcare workers who came into contact with the patients during their symptomatic period and are considered to be at risk.
Although they have already died, no epidemiological link has been established between those confirmed with the disease.
So far, a total of 134 contacts have been identified and are currently being followed-up (Montserrado, 105, Margibi, 25 and Nimba 4), including 37 healthcare workers. As of 7th March 2018, no new confirmed Lassa fever case has been reported, the release said.
Since January 1st, 2018, a total of 28 suspected cases of Lassa fever have been reported across Liberia, including 12 deaths. Out of these, seven cases have been confirmed by the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL). These were found in Nimba (4), Montserrado (2) and Bong (1).
Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic illness caused by a virus that is transmitted through contact with the urine or faeces of infected rodents and through direct contact with body fluids of infected individuals.
In recent years, a consistently increasing trend in the number of Lassa fever cases has been observed in Liberia and other countries across West Africa.
This includes Nigeria, where an ongoing outbreak has led to 353 confirmed cases, with 78 confirmed and eight probable deaths since January 1, 2018.
Symptoms of Lassa fever include vomiting, respiratory distress, chest pain, hiccups, and unexplained bleeding.
The release said an effective treatment called ribavirin is available in the country for Lassa fever and should start as early as possible following symptomatic onset.
Infected individuals can also be treated with blood serum gotten from survivors of the hemorrhagic virus disease.
Therefore, going to a health facility once any of the symptoms is detected remains crucial to both preventing spread of the disease and ensuring a safe recovery.
Lassa fever can be prevented by maintaining a clean home and surroundings, to keep rats from entering the home; covering of food and drinking water to stop rats from coming into direct contact with them; dispose of garbage correctly and away from the home; hand washing practice with soap and water should also be sustained.
