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LASSA FEVER - NIGERIA
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Mon 16 Feb 2009
Source: AllAfrica, This Day report [edited]
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200902160188.html>
Nigeria: Lassa fever -- specialist expresses concern over spread
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The chief medical director of Irrua Specialist Hospital, Prof George
Akpede, has expressed concern over the wide spread of Lassa fever in
recent times, disclosing that out of 229 suspected cases reported
between January and December 2008, 30 people died.
Prof Akpede, who spoke at National Lassa Fever Stakeholders Forum at
Ekpoma [at the] weekend [14-15 Feb 2009] noted that there had been a
marked rise in the number of suspected and confirmed cases between
December 2008 and January 2009 representing about 60 percent and 80
percent increases respectively. He, however, disclosed that some
drastic measures were under way as the Irrua Specialist Teaching
Hospital had entered into partnerships with Behard-Notch Institute of
Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany, and Harvard University, USA for
collaboration in Lassa fever research and control efforts. Part of
the collaboration, according to him, had resulted in the donation of
diagnostic facilities for the confirmation of the disease in the
hospital without samples having to be sent out of the country any longer.
In his contribution, [the] member representing Esan Central/Esan
West/Igueben Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives,
Mr. Patrick Ikhariale, also expressed concern over the spread of the
Lassa fever epidemic nation-wide and called for urgent control
measures at the national level. Ikhariale assured that he would draw
the attention of the National Assembly to the menace posed by the
disease to millions of Nigerians.
[Byline: Adibe Emenyonu]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur A-Lan Banks
[Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease, whereby humans become infected
from contact with infected animals. The animal reservoirs of Lassa
virus are rodents of the genus _Mastomys_, the "multimammate rat."
Lassa virus-infected animals do not become ill, but they can shed the
virus in their urine and faeces. (A photograph of a multimammate rat
can be accessed at
<http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p145/hawthornrats/other%20pets/multis/DSCF4892.jpg>).
In humans Lassa viral haemorrhagic fever is an acute illness of 1-4
weeks duration that occurs in West Africa. The virus is a
single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the virus family
_Arenaviridae_. Lassa fever is known to be endemic in Guinea
(Conakry), Liberia, Sierra Leone, and parts of Nigeria, but probably
exists in other West African countries as well.
About 80 percent of human infections are asymptomatic; the remaining
cases have severe multi-system disease, where the virus affects
several organs in the body, such as the liver, spleen, and kidneys.
The incubation period of Lassa fever ranges from 6-21 days. It has
been estimated that about 300 000 to 500 000 cases of Lassa fever and
5000 deaths occur yearly across West Africa. The overall
case-fatality rate is 1 percent, and up to 15 percent among
hospitalized patients.
The disease is especially severe late in pregnancy, with maternal
death and/or fetal loss occurring in greater than 80 percent of cases
during the 3rd trimester.
Humans usually become infected with Lassa virus from exposure to
excreta of infected _Mastomys_. Lassa virus may also be spread
between humans through direct contact with the blood, urine, faeces,
or other bodily secretions of a person with Lassa fever. There is no
epidemiological evidence supporting airborne spread between humans.
Person-to-person transmission occurs in both community and health
care settings, where the virus may be spread by contaminated medical
equipment, such as re-used needles.
The current increase in cases of Lassa fever in some parts of Nigeria
may by a consequence of increased abundance of the vector or some
other factor resulting in increased contact between humans and
rodents promoting the spread of the disease in the human population. - Mod.CP
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Nigeria is available at
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=9.6,6.1,6>. - CopyEd.MJ]
[see also:
Lassa fever - UK ex Nigeria (03): fatal 20090130.0414
Lassa fever - UK ex Nigeria (02) 20090124.0308
Lassa fever - UK ex Nigeria 20090123.0296
2008
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Lassa fever - Nigeria (02) 20080611.1847
Lassa fever - Nigeria: (Ebonyi) 20080323.1100
2007
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Lassa fever - Nigeria 20071205.3925
Lassa Fever - South Africa ex Nigeria 20070222.0657
2005
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Lassa fever - Nigeria (Edo) 20050303.0654
2004
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Lassa fever - Nigeria (Edo) 20040214.0487
Lassa fever - Nigeria: RFI 20040213.0482
2001
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Lassa fever, suspected - Nigeria (Edo) (02) 20010319.0552
Lassa fever, suspected - Nigeria (Edo): RFI 20010315.0524
2000
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Lassa fever - Germany ex Nigeria (03) 20000424.0609
Lassa fever - Germany ex Nigeria (02) 20000405.0497
Lassa fever - Germany ex Nigeria 20000404.0495]
...................................cp/mj/dk
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