On Monday, Nigerian health authorities warned about the Lassa Fever outbreak as the cases reported in Africa. The health authorities advised the public to refrain from eating the only cause of Lassa Fever, i.e. rats.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) also activated the multisectoral Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) with experienced medical professionals to tackle the ongoing health threat. Medicines and commodities are also delivered to Lassa combatants.
Moreover, NCDC experts and relevant authorities carried out a Lassa Fever risk assessment. The drastic results surfaced as the number of cases and the mortality-cum-virus transmission rate spiked when contrasted with the former year.
The reports confirmed 244 Lassa cases with a 15.1% mortality rate from sixteen states, including Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, Oyo, Bauchi, Adamawa, Enugu, Imo, Plateau and FCT.
In the wake of increasing health threats, NCDC also constituted an infection prevention policy and diagnostic laboratories.
Here, it is pertinent to note that Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) mainly caused by virus-infected rats or their feces, blood, saliva, etc. Objects or food contaminated with such outpourings must be avoided, as they also contribute to the virus’s spread.
The fever can also transmit to a healthy individual through an infected person’s saliva, blood, or excrement, symptoms of which include head and body aches, general weakness, cough, nausea, digestive problems, ENT issues, and fever. Immediate consultation with a doctor can limit the spread of the disease and the resulting complexities.