18 February 2009
Lagos — Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Abuja (NHA), Dr Olusegun Ajuwon, yesterday in Abuja confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever in Abuja and the adjoining Nasarawa State.
Ajuwon told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the fever had claimed three lives in the areas affected.
"Three patients were brought in from Abuja and the neighbouring Nasarawa State. One of them came from Lugbe, while the two others were from Masaka and Akwanga in Nasarawa State," he said.
"Five of our staff members have also tested positive to the Lassa fever virus. Three of them are laboratory staff, one is a hospital assistant and a nurse," he added.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever first described in 1969 in the town of Lassa in Borno.The virus is transmitted by contact with the faeces and urine of rodents, particularly the shrew - "Eeku Asin" in Yoruba, "Jaba" in Hausa and "Nkapia" or "Nkakwu" in Igbo language.
The fever had become endemic in West Africa, causing up to 5,000 deaths annually.Outbreaks of the disease had been observed in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Central Africa Republic, Congo, Mali and Senegal.
Lassa fever can be transmitted directly from one human to another. It can be contracted by an airborne route or with direct contact with infected human blood, urine or semen. Transmission through breast milk had also been observed.The mortality rate is more than 80 per cent when it occurs in pregnant women during their third trimester. Fetal death also occurs in nearly all those cases. Symptoms include nausea, vomitting of blood, stomach ache, constipation, hepatitis, abnormal high heart rate and respiratory tract cough.
Dr Ogugua Osi-Ogbu, Consultant Physician and co-ordinator of the Lassa Fever Infection Control at the National Hospital, told NAN: "The outbreak usually occurs between January and April because of bush burning. The rodents run out of the bush and move to houses within the area. Literature say that it is transmitted only through body fluids, but we are beginning to see from our staff members who are contaminated that it could be air-borne as well," Osi-Ogbu said.
She advised members of the public to store foodstuff and water in rat-proof containers.
On the treatment of the viral infection, the consultant said: "It is often best to start treatment early before it starts to affect the body organs."When patients are brought in early, Ribavirine is used. It is very effective when administered early to patients," she said.Local antidote is to cut onions and spread around one's neighbourhood. The shrew detests the pungent smell of onions, a legend says."Communities should be taught to better handle their foods as well; and drying of grains at the roadside should be discouraged because the urine and excrement of rats can get into them, facilitating the transmission of the virus." Osi-Ogbu said.
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