Lassa Fever has been a serious challenge for Nigeria’s health authorities since it was first diagnosed in Lassa (the village for which it was named) in Borno State in 1969. While there have been efforts in the past to contain the scourge, the current epidemic was first diagnosed in some patients in Bauchi State about two months ago. Since then, it has spread to other 17 states including Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Edo, Oyo and Lagos. The number of deaths is now sprinting to the one hundred mark.
Last Wednesday, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, announced the death of one confirmed victim at the National Hospital Abuja while calling on health workers at all levels to be more vigilant and look out for patients with symptoms of the ailment. The 33-year-old man, said to be newly married, had lived in Jos, Plateau State before coming to see a family member in Kubwa because of his illness. His death brought the number of such fatalities in the country to 43. “The Nigerian government will continue to enhance its surveillance and social health education, information and communication activities to prevent the disease from spreading further in Nigeria and I wish to call for the support and understanding of Nigerians,” said Adewole.
However, despite the devastating nature of the virus, the good news is that the federal government has taken measures to curtail further spread and reduce mortality rate. Such measures include immediate release of adequate quantities of Ribavirin, the specific antiviral drug for Lassa fever, to all the affected states for prompt and adequate treatment of cases; and deployment of rapid response teams from the Federal Health Ministry to all the affected states to assist in investigating and verifying the cases and tracing of contacts.
In addition, clinicians and relevant healthcare workers are being sensitised and mobilised in areas of patient management and care, while “affected states have been advised to intensify awareness creation on the signs and symptoms and general hygiene.”
Fortunately, Nigeria has the capability to diagnose Lassa fever and the laboratories have confirmed all the cases reported so far. The federal government, which said measures had been put in place to curtail further spread and reduce mortality among those affected, has ruled out placing travel restrictions to and from the areas currently affected.
However, because the symptoms of Lassa fever are so varied and non-specific, clinical diagnosis is often difficult, especially early in the course of the disease. For that reason, steps should be taken by the federal government to direct all health facilities in the country to emphasise routine infection prevention and control measures. Family members and healthcare workers should be advised to avoid contact with blood and body fluids while caring for sick persons. This is the time to internalise all the lessons learnt from the way and manner in which the Ebola scourge was handled in our country.
While members of the public are advised to keep clean environment, healthcare workers are enjoined to immediately contact the epidemiologist in the State Ministry of Health or call the Federal Ministry of Health on seeing any patient suspected to have the fever. With the public performing their responsibilities as well as the health authorities and the WHO as partners, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control “is already coordinating all the response activities and reporting to minister of health on a daily basis.”
While we commend the health authorities in Abuja and in the affected states, we believe that with effective coordination, the disease will soon be contained. But the real challenge is to work towards its total eradication from our country. That is a task for the health authorities.
