Lassa fever in Nigeria (Update 3)
20 Aug 2019
The World Health Organization (WHO)
reports (week ending on 4 August 2019) that eleven new confirmed cases were reported from Edo (7), Ondo (3), and Bauchi (1) with one new death from Ondo State. A total of 669 cases (651 confirmed and 18 probable) with 163 deaths were reported across the country since 1 Jan 2019.
Lassa fever is a low risk for most travellers unless 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.