Lassa Fever: 10-Point Preventive Measures

With the recent outbreak of Lassa Fever in the country, it is important for us to place preventive and control measures in our homes and offices most especially since reported cases have been confirmed in the region.

Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole issued a statement on 6th of January, 2016 in Abuja in response to the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the country that the fever has spread into eight states namely: Oyo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kano, Niger, Taraba, Edo and Rivers.

Download the Federal Ministry of Health report on Lassa Fever Outbreak in Nigeria

The total number of people infected as at the time of writing this was 76 with about 35 deaths and a case fatality rate of 46%.

Lassa Fever is an acute febrile illness with bleeding and death in severe cases, caused by the Lassa Fever virus with an incubation period of 6 to 21 days.

About 80% of human infections are asymptomatic, the remaining case has severe multi-system disease, where the virus affects several organs in the body such as liver, spleen and kidney.

The onset of the disease is usually gradual starting with fever, general weakness and malaise followed by headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, bleeding from mouth, nose,vagina, or gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure.

The host of the Lassa Virus is the "multi-mammate rat" called Mastomys natalensis.

10-Point Preventine Measures:

1. It is important to promote good personal hygiene.

2. Avoid contact between rats and human beings.

3.Keep your house and environment clean.

4.Cover all foods and water properly.

5. Store foodstfuffs in rodent-proof containers.

6. Block all rat hideouts.

7. If you suspect that rat has eaten any food, discard it.

8. Family members could always be careful to avoid contact with blood fluid while caring for sick persons.

9. Disposing of garbage far from the home, maintainig clean households.

10. Effective measures include storing grain and other food stuff in rodent-proof containers.

Health care workers seeing a patient suspected to have Lassa Fever should immediately contact the epidemiologist of Federal Ministry of Health using the following number

08093810105, 08163215251, 08031571667 and 0813505005