Nigeria: Lassa Fever and the Challenge of Curtailing Deadly Diseases

3 January 2021
opinion

Since December last year when the deadly Coronavirus reared its ugly head in a far-flung corner of the world called Wuhan in China, the world has known little peace. Millions have died and are still dying, even as the world is locked in fear following the second wave of the pandemic. Little wonder, therefore, that most other killer diseases are today being mentioned only in whispers, one of which is the equally devastating Lassa fever.

Lassa fever is an acute, viral disease carried by a type of rat that is common in West Africa. It can be life-threatening. It is also a haemorrhagic virus, which means it can cause bleeding, though eight out of every 10 people with the virus may display no symptoms. It affects the liver, kidneys or spleens and can be quite fatal. There is currently no vaccine that protects against Lassa fever.

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