The Gombe State Ministry of Health has recorded the first case confirmed of Lassa fever in the year 2024.
Commissioner of Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, disclosed this at a press briefing held in the conference hall of the Ministry of Health.
Dahiru explained that the confirmed case involves a 25-year-old male driver from Gona village of Akko local government area who travelled to Adamawa State and stayed there for two weeks and upon his return, he began to develop symptoms such as fever, headache, malaise, and abdominal pain.
The Commissioner added that the patient was admitted to two private hospitals, but his condition continued to deteriorate and subsequently, he was referred to the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe.
Dahiru mentioned that at the FTH, there was a very high index of suspicion; hence, a Lassa fever test was conducted, which turned out to be positive.
The commissioner stated that because Lassa fever is highly infectious and can infect a large number of people within a short period, one confirmed case is considered an outbreak and is met with prompt action.
“To this end, the Incident Management Team has been activated, and the Emergency Rapid Response Team will commence surveillance in every nook and cranny of the state to look out for cases of Lassa fever,” he said.
Another team he added is the case management, where all those identified will have a treatment centre where they will be isolated and treated.
There is also the laboratory pillar, where samples will be collected from suspected cases and contacts by the surveillance team for investigations. Additionally, there is the risk communication pillar, whose main activity is to educate the public on causes , transmission and preventive measures.
He said that in the last five years, the trend of the disease has been as follows: in 2018, there were three confirmed cases; in 2019, six; in 2020, six; in 2021, no case; and in 2023, twenty-four confirmed cases.
Dr Habu Dahiru added that the ministry sought support from development partners involved in disease prevention and given that Gombe state is endemic to Lassa fever, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has provided immense assistance in preparing for an emergency.
He advised people in the state to improve personal and environmental hygiene by ensuring proper waste disposal, protection of food items from contact with rats and report any suspected cases to the nearest health facility.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus, which is spread through contact with the urine or faeces of infected rodents.( Multimammate rats) The disease is endemic in West Africa, with Nigeria being the most affected country.
According to the World Health Organisation, there have been over 100,000 reported cases of Lassa fever since 1969, with a mortality rate of around 15%. The disease is particularly deadly in pregnant women and young children.
The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control has issued a statement urging the public to take precautions against Lassa fever by avoiding contact with rats and their droppings, properly disposing of garbage, and maintaining good hygiene practices such as handwashing.
Healthcare workers are advised to always practice standard infection prevention and control practices, i.e., using gloves and other appropriate personal protective equipment while handling patients or providing care for an ill patient.
Healthcare workers should maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever, i.e., be vigilant and consider a diagnosism of Lassa fever when seeing patients presenting with febrile illness.
Healthcare providers should report all suspected cases of Lassa fever to their local government Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer to ensure prompt diagnosis, referral, and early commencement of public health activities
The NCDC has also activated its Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate the response to the outbreak, which includes contact tracing, surveillance, and laboratory testing.
The EOC will work closely with local health authorities and partners to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to prevent further spread of the disease.
