Medical doctors in Nigeria said Monday that plans were under way to bring the outbreak of Lassa fever under control in the country.
The recent resurgence in the reported cases of Lassa fever was worrisome, Olusegun Olaopa, president of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), told reporters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
A total of 172 suspected cases have been reported out of which 35 were confirmed by the Nigerian Center of Disease Control from Jan. 1 to 13, 2019.
“NARD remains committed to supporting the efforts of government and public health trust teams to prevent and respond to public health threats,” Olaopa said.
Lassa fever is a viral illness caused by the Lassa fever virus. It is predominantly a disease transmitted directly to humans through contact with infected multimammate rat, its urine and faeces.
It is also transmitted indirectly through contact with household items, foods which are contaminated with rodent’s saliva, blood, graces, urine and person to person contact.
The disease is endemic in West Africa and occurs in outbreaks periodically in certain parts of Nigeria.
Lassa fever infection shares similar symptoms with many common illnesses like malaria and Enteric fever, which include fever, body pains, headache, convulsion, difficulty with breathing, and diarrhea.
