A disease that affects 100,000- 300,000 and kills 5,000 people annually can only be curbed when everyone understands the basis of the disease. How well do you know Lassa fever? Are you aware that:
◆ Transmission of Lassa fever primarily occurs through food or items
contaminated by urine or faeces of infected multimammate rats.
◆ It affects mostly West African countries because of its common host.
◆ It has been known since 1952, officially identified as Lassa virus in 1969 after
killing two Nurse missionaries in Lassa town, Borno state, Nigeria.
◆ It’s a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the arenavirus family.
◆ Most cases happen during the dry season (November to April), primarily in
African countries, with Nigeria being the most affected.
◆ The incubation period is 1-3 weeks, and early symptoms can resemble those of
Covid-19.
◆ Sharing needles can increase transmission risk, and pregnant women in their
third trimester face a higher fatality rate.
◆ Reverse transcription -polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is used for
early-stage detection, and Ribavirin is a treatment option.
◆ The virus can be transmitted through inhalation and injection.
◆ Early supportive care, rehydration, and symptomatic treatment improve survival.
◆ There’s no current vaccine.
◆ 15%-20% of hospitalized patients succumb to the illness.