Recently, there has been an outbreak of this disease in my country and it pains me much that many people still take it for granted. It is killing and will stop killing only if we take the right measures. I decided to give an overview of what Lassa fever is and the preventive measures to take.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever that is extremely virulent and often infectious. It occurs very frequently in different parts of Nigeria. The illness was discovered in Lassa, Borno State where it was first reported. It is caused by the Lassa fever virus of the arenaviridae family.
Lassa fever has an incubation period of about 6 – 21 days. The symptoms include; fever, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, abdominal and chest pains. Illness may progress to more serious symptoms including haemorrhaging (bleeding), neurological problems, hearing loss, tremors and brain damage.
Modes of Transmission
(1) Animal to human: The virus is zoonotic and the vector include infected rodents called 'Mastomys natalensis' (house rats). They have reservoirs capable of excreting the virus through urine, saliva, excreta and other body fluids to man.
(2) Human to human: This occurs within a community through inhalation or ingestion.
(3) Nosocomial transmission: The virus can also be acquired in a hospital setting which is also not uncommon.
Preventive measures
(1) Keeping rodents out of homes
(2) Maintaining proper personal hygiene.
(3) Using these rodents as food source should be discouraged.
(4) Infected persons should be isolated and their body fluids and excrements properly disposed
Conclusion
In conclusion, the current outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria can be controlled effectively by adopting proper standard precautions in hospitals as well as communities. Educating the public on the mode of transmission of this virus and the need for proper hygiene and environmental sanitation should be emphasized.