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A total 76 people were infected
across eight states - Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Edo
and Oyo, health minister, Isaac Adewole, said at a news conference in
Abuja.
Laboratory tests have confirmed 14 cases positive for Lassa fever in the past six weeks, he said.
Bauchi State reported the first case in November, shortly before Kano. Those affected suffered acute fever with bleeding, he said.
Symptoms of the Lassa fever virus infection takes six to 21 days to manifest, though there are no symptoms in 80% of infections.
The disease, which begins gradually, progresses to affect several organs in the body such as the liver, spleen and kidneys.
Common symptoms include fever,
general weakness and malaise followed by headache, sore throat, muscle
pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough and bleeding from
the mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract and low blood
pressure.
The “multimammate rat” called
Mastomys natalensis, which has many breasts and lives in the bush and
peri-residential areas, is the natural host of the Lassa virus which is
shed in the urine and droppings and is transmitted through direct
contact, touching objects or eating food contaminated with these
materials or through cuts or sores.
Infections can also occur in hospitals when infection prevention and control practices are not observed.
“Person to person transmission
also occurs, especially when a person comes in contact with the virus in
the blood, tissue, secretions or excrements of an infected individual,”
the ministry warned.
The health ministry has released a supply of the antiviral drug, Ribavirin, to affected states.
Rapid response teams have also been deployed to assist in investigating and verifying the cases and tracing of contacts.
Clinicians in affected states
are also helping to manage patients and trace contacts amidst nationwide
warnings for better hygiene practices.
“Nigeria has the capability to
diagnose Lassa fever and all the cases reported so far were confirmed by
our laboratories,” said Adewole.
The ministry has opened hotlines
to contact epidemiologists and the federal health ministry in the event
of cases suspected to be Lassa fever: 08093810105, 08163215251,
08031571667 and 08135050005.
Source: DailyTrust
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