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Another health threat to travellers visiting Western African nations is Lassa fever, which is now a concern in the United Kingdom. On February 11, Lassa fever was discovered in one in three people. The fatality rate is reportedly one per cent right now, although the hazards are higher for some people, such as pregnant women, in the third trimester. According to statistics, almost 80% of patients are asymptomatic and just go untreated as a result. Some of the individuals can require hospitalisation and go on to develop other multi-system diseases. 15% of hospital patients might pass away. To learn more about this hazard, continue reading.
Key Takeaways
- There are presently 917 reported cases of Lassa fever in Nigeria, and there have been 6,660 suspected cases reported since the year’s beginning.
- The rate of case fatalities is 18.6%, with 171 deaths reported so far. This is less than the 23.3% seen during the same time period in 2021.
- The viral infection primarily affects adults between the ages of 21 and 30, with a confirmed case ratio of 1:0.8 for men and women.
- To prevent the spreading of the viral virus, the (NCDC) Nigeria Centres for Disease Control is now dispersing medical response supplies around the nation.
- Another health threat to travellers visiting Western African nations is Lassa fever, which is now a concern in the United Kingdom
Lassa fever
According to the CDC, Lassa Fever is a severe, zoonotic, or animal-borne, acute viral disease. There are areas in West Africa where it is endemic, notably Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria. It was initially found in Lassa, Nigeria, in 1969. Following the deaths of two nurses in Nigeria, the illness was identified. Rats transmit Lassa sickness. The “multimammate rat” is the animal that carries the Lassa virus (Mastomys natalensis).
Lassa fever in Nigeria
Lassa fever is an acute hemorrhagic fever brought on by the Lassa virus, a member of the Arenaviridae family. In Nigeria, it was first found in 1969. When exposed to contaminated food or household objects tainted with the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats, humans become infected with this virus. Several locations in West Africa have rodent populations infected with this virus. Ghana, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria are among the nations where it is endemic. Most Lassa fever patients (around 80%) have no symptoms. With the pathogen invading the liver, spleen, and kidney, 1 in 5 cases are severe. The antiviral medication ribavirin can be used to treat this infection in its early stages.
Symptoms
Most of the time, contagiousness does not start before symptoms develop; thus, trying to hug, shake hands, or sit next to an infected person will not spread the sickness.
In 80% of instances, infection is minor or asymptomatic, but in 1% to 3% of individuals, it might result in severe disease and death. A maximum of 21 days may pass during the disease’s incubation phase, typically lasting between 7 to 10 days.
The start of sickness is sneaky and includes
- Flu-like symptoms and a fever.
- Generalised aching.
- Painful throat and headache.
- These symptoms may accompany nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or coughing.
- Spots of white or yellowish fluid occasionally occurring on the tonsils and throat, together with tiny blisters or shallow ulcers, are crucial diagnostic indicators.
How does it spread?
Humans are mostly exposed to the Lassa virus by eating or inhalation. Mastomys rodents transmit the virus in their urine and droppings. People can become infected by contracting these substances directly, eating contaminated food, handling filthy things, or coming into contact with open wounds. Occasionally, it can spread if someone touches an infected person’s body fluids through the mucous membranes of their eyes, mouth, or nose. According to some, hospital environments are where person-to-person transmission occurs more frequently.
Mastomys rats are occasionally used as a food source, and catching and preparing rodents can infect people. Inhaling minute airborne particles contaminated with infected rat excretions also exposes a person to the virus. This airborne or aerosol transfer during cleaning tasks such as sweeping may happen.
Treatment
Ribavirin therapy is most successful when initiated at an early stage of clinical disease.
It is also crucial to provide supportive treatment, such as hydration replenishment, blood transfusions, or other suitable actions.
Control and prevention
There isn’t a Lassa fever vaccine that is approved. Rodent management and avoiding touch with rats and their waste can help prevent infection in regions where it is endemic. Food must be kept in rat-proof containers as part of infection prevention.
Person-to-individual transmission can be stopped by avoiding body fluids from an infected person. These infection control strategies in hospital environments include
- Unique barrier nursing technique
- VHF isolation safety measures for sick patients.
- Putting on safety gear before coming into touch with the patient.
Once the patient is well, they are solely sexually and really contagious. For three months, patients must abstain from sexual activity.
Most of those at risk for Lassa fever reside in West African regions where the disease is widespread, and rodent populations are high. In other parts of the world, imported instances are uncommon. These incidents nearly always involve people who have high-risk jobs in endemic regions, including a doctor or aid workers.
Tourists are thought to be at relatively little risk.
Danger Signs of exposure
The majority of identified LF cases, including those reported in recent years in Nigeria, are believed to have directly resulted from interaction with the rats and mice Mastomys natalensis, the primary viral reservoir host as well as a traditional agricultural pest, according to research in October 2021. However, other occurrences have occurred due to hospital-acquired illnesses and maybe in other isolated human-to-human transmission clusters.
Despite their lack of clarity, risk factors for the virus’s spread are believed to include things that enhance rats’ direct and indirect interaction with humans, such as inadequate housing and food storage conditions and specific agricultural processing methods.
