Lassa fever in Nigeria
04 Feb 2019
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)
Lassa fever continues to be transmitted in Nigeria, with a new outbreak declared on 22 January 2019.
In the week ending 27 January 2019, there were 77 new Lassa fever cases and 11 new deaths. In the first four weeks of 2019, there have been 215 cases, with 42 deaths in 16 states. Sixty-eight percent of all confirmed cases have been reported from Edo State (76 cases, 36%) and Ondo State (68 cases, 32%).
The 77 most recent cases came from 14 states: Ondo (28), Edo (24), Ebonyi (5), Plateau (5), Bauchi (3), Taraba (3), Benue (2), Enugu (1), Federal Capital Territory (1), Gombe (1), Kaduna (1), Kogi (1), Kwara (1) and Rivers (1).
Advice for Travellers
Lassa fever presents a low risk to most travellers unless they are living in poor sanitary conditions with overcrowding in rural areas where the host is usually found. Lassa fever is a zoonotic viral disease transmitted via the excreta of an infected Mastomys rat. Healthcare workers are at risk if good infection control and barrier nursing methods are not maintained.
Travellers returning from affected areas who develop symptoms of fever, malaise, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain should seek medical advice.
For further informations see Viral Haemorrhagic Fever.