What is Lassa fever?
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus and acquired from infected rats.
How is Lassa fever transmitted?
By contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or excreta; or by contact with the blood, urine, feces, or other bodily secretions of a person infected with Lassa fever.
Sexual transmission of Lassa virus has also been reported.
What are the symptoms of Lassa fever?
After 1-3 weeks of contact with the virus, a person may develop fever, weakness, and headache. In some cases, severe symptoms like bleeding (from the gums, eyes, or nose), respiratory distress, repeated vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen, and shock.
Death may occur within two weeks after symptom onset due to multi-organ failure.
How is Lassa Fever confirmed?
With special tests like ELISA which are available only in reference laboratories;
N.B Any specimen obtained for testing must be handled with extreme care.
What treatment is available?
Ribavirin especially early in the disease course
How to prevent Lassa fever?
There are no vaccines against Lassa Fever.
1. The best control is to keep your environment clean and prevent rodents from entering the house.
2. Store grain and other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers,
3. Avoid contact with blood and body fluids while caring for sick persons.
For health care workers
Use personal protective equipment (to block splashes or other contact with infected materials),
When in close contact (within 1 meter) of patients with Lassa fever, wear face protection ( a medical mask and goggles) and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures).
Finally, report suspicious cases.
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