The acute viral haemorrhagic Lassa fever has caused health safety havoc amid the growing cases of coronavirus in the Nigerian region, causing it to set up emergency response. This unprecedented outbreak has affected 116 people since January 1st and killed 26 since then.
Following the health crisis, NCDC (Nigeria Centre of Disease Control) has activated the centre to help control the spread of this virus. Lassa fever, also known as one of the epidemics in the Nigerian region, affects humans when they come in contact with the Lassa virus. This happens when humans are exposed to household or food items contaminated with either the faeces or urine of Mastomys rats.
The symptoms of Lassa fever include fatigue, cough, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. While the diagnosis is essential, prompt treatment is needed for patients to get treated and improve their survival rate.
According to WHO, 80% of people who contract Lassa fever develop no symptoms, while 1 in 5 of the viral infections leads to severe disease, affecting the kidney, liver and spleen.
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Historically, Lassa fever was first recognized in the year 1969 in the northeastern state of Borno in Nigeria and since then the outbreaks have been common in the nation. Lassa fever claims approximately 5000 lives every year and is identified as an epidemic in West Africa.