The number of persons affected by the dreaded Lassa fever disease in the country in recent times is scary even as it is attracting global attention. This is despite the fact that Nigerians had once heaved a sigh of relief. ELEOJO IDACHABA writes.
When everyone thought that Lassa fever pandemic has been wiped out of the country in 2018, recent statistics released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Abuja indicates that 16 people have died from Lassa fever- related illness throughout Nigeria in 2019 alone.
The centre also confirmed 590 out of 593 reported contacts currently under watch in eight states of the federation since the beginning of the year.
According to the director-general of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, epidemiological survey reveals that this trend usually occurs during the dry season.
Blueprint Weekend investigation further revealed a scary report detailing the outbreak between January 28 and February 03, 2019.
According to the report, 68 new confirmed cases were reported. Edo (20); Ondo (22); Ebonyi (07); Bauchi(04); Plateau(04); Nasarawa (01); Taraba(03); Benue(01); Kaduna(01); Kwara(01); Oyo(02); Delta (01) and Rivers (01) with 14 new deaths in Edo (02); Ondo (01); Rivers (01); Plateau (02); Oyo (01); Ebonyi (04 ); Enugu (01); Taraba (01) and Nasarawa (01). Also, from February 01 to 03, 2019, a total of 731 suspected cases have been reported from 19 states of the federation.
Of these, 275 were confirmed positive, three probable and 453 negative. The report also said since the onset of the 2019 outbreak, there have been several deaths in confirmed cases. Case fatality rate in confirmed cases is 20.7%. 19 states: Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, FCT, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta and Oyo, the report noted, have recorded, at least, one confirmed case across 51 local government areas. It said in the reporting week five of February 2019, four new healthcare workers were affected in Edo.
However, a total of nine health care workers have been affected since the onset of the outbreak in four states of Ebonyi (01); Ondo (02); Enugu (01) and Edo (05) with one death in Enugu. 98 patients are currently being managed at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) treatment Centre in Edo state Federal Medical Centre Owo (25), Federal Teaching Hospital Abakiliki (08) Bauchi (05), Plateau (07) and other states (11). A total of 2,791 contacts have been identified from nine states. Of these, NCDC says 2,080 (74.5%) are currently being followed up, 647 (23.2%) have completed 21 days follow up. 23 (0.8.1%) symptomatic contacts have been identified of which 13 (0.4%) have tested positive. Multi sectoral health national rapid response team including NCDC, NFELTP, Federal Ministry of Agricultural, Federal Ministry of Environment, it noted have been deployed to Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi, Plateau and Bauchi. This is also being complemented with high level advocacy visit by the director-general of WHO.
This scary report was released by CDC after it was earlier reported that a serving military officer attached to the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, Rukuba Barracks, Jos, also died following attack from the disease in January.
A statement by the spokesperson of the Division, Major Ikechukwu Stephen, stated: “The Headquarters, 3 Division wishes to inform the general public that a male senior non- commissioned officer of the Division was admitted and was being managed for resistant malaria at the 3 Division Hospital after returning from Kogi state where he went for his father’s burial. Consequently, the soldier was managed, but there was no significant improvement which resulted in him being referred to Bingham University Teaching Hospital (Jankwano), Jos, for further management. Unfortunately, the soldier died on January 15, 2019, four days after his case was reported. Available medical information confirmed that the soldier may have died of Lassa fever. While investigation is ongoing to unravel all circumstances that led to the soldier’s death, the Division has taken the following measures: contact tracing and monitoring for both primary and secondary contacts are ongoing, in collaboration with representatives of World Health Organisation (WHO), medical personnel of Bingham University Teaching Hospital and 3 Division Medical Services and Hospital, sensitisation of residents of Maxwell Khobe Cantonment, the host community and the general public. The General Officer Commanding has further directed that the entire Maxwell Khobe Cantonment be fumigated,” it said.
NCDC raises response team
Given this increase in reported cases of Lassa fever, NCDC has activated an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate the response. The EOC includes representatives from the WHO, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Environment, US Centre for Disease Control as well as other partners. It, therefore, advises the general public to focus on prevention by practising good personal hygiene and proper environmental sanitation.
Effective measures, it noted, include storing grain and other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers, disposing of garbage far from the home, maintaining clean households and other measures to discourage rodents from entering homes. It also noted that hand washing culture should be practiced frequently. The public, it said, is also advised to avoid bush burning.
WHO to the rescue
In the meantime, the global health body, WHO has scaled up its efforts to supporting the region’s response to the menace. It noted that countries in the region currently witnessing outbreaks of the disease are Nigeria, Benin, Guinea, Liberia and Togo because they belong to the Africa Lassa Fever belt.
The regional emergencies director at WHO Regional Office for Africa, Ibrahima Socé Fall, said the global body is concerned over the high number of cases.
“WHO is working with the health authorities in the five-affected countries to ensure health workers have the capacity to detect cases and we are monitoring the regional spread of the disease. An important focus is on early detection and confirmation of suspected cases, providing optimal supportive care and ensuring infection prevention and control measures in designated health care facilities in the affected states.”
Fall further said, “WHO will continue to advise all countries in the Lassa fever belt to enhance their preparedness and response capacities especially for early case detection, laboratory confirmation and case management under recommended barrier nursing, risk communication and community engagement.”
Lassa fever has been a serious challenge for Nigeria’s health authorities since it was first diagnosed in Lassa village, Borno state in 1969 for which it was named after. It is a deadly disease caused by a virus carried in the urine or faeces of infected rat. The disease is often transmitted through rodents to human food or from human to human.
It usually starts with fever, general body weaknesses followed by headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, cough, and bleeding from the mouth and nose.
