Lassa fever: 2nd death in Lagos

Lassa fever reservoir, the Multimammate rat.

A second death from Lassa fever virus infection has been confirmed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris. He said the deceased, a 27-year-old lady,died few hours after admission at Ijede General Hospital where she presented with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and body weakness.  

The unnamed lady had earlier travelled to Edo State on 24 December, 2015 and returned to Lagos on 2 January, 2016. 

She took ill on 14 January, 2016 and received care in one private hospital and three churches before she being referred  23 January  The case was confirmed as Lassa Fever on January 26, 2016.

The remains of the patient has been kept in the morgue in leak proof body bag. She is to be buried after due consultation with her family. 

Ninety (90) persons have been line-listed as contacts of the last confirmed case as at January 26, 2016 and contact tracing is on-going.

Meanwhile, Lagos State had recorded 20 suspected cases of Lassa fever as at 26 January since the outbreak of the disease in November, 2015. 

Fourteen  suspected cases tested negative, four cases were confirmed positive of Lassa Fever, while the results of two suspected cases are pending. One case was confirmed on the 15 January 2016, two on 18 January 2016 and one case confirmed on 26 January, 2016.  The Lagos state health ministry has line-listed 537 contacts of the confirmed cases and 534 (99 percent) of the contacts are currently being monitored.

Meningitis kills 22 in Ghana

AT least 22 persons have been confirmed dead from bacterial meningitis in Ghana, following an outbreak that has lasted three months in the former Gold Coast country.The deaths were recorded in the northern Bole district and central Ghana. The pneumococcal (Meningococcal)  form of meningitis  occurs when bacteria invade the bloodstream and infect the membranes protecting the brain and the spinal cord (the meninges).

Although the outbreak has been contained experts warn that it remains highly contagious. Strict surveillance measures are being enforced. In the Bole district of Ghana’s northern region, health authorities are establishing measures to ensure reported cases are contained.

The dry season, with strong dusty winds and cold nights make people more prone to respiratory problems. The disease mainly affects children and young adults aged 1-30.

Transmission is airborne so infected persons can transmit it to others through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions, especially sneezing and coughing and inhalation. Early diagnosis is an important step of ensuring treatment and preventing the disease from spreading.

Symptoms include stiff neck, high fever, headaches, vomiting and sometimes seizures. Even when the disease is diagnosed early and adequate therapy instituted, 5-10 percent of patients die, typically within 24-48 hours of onset of symptoms, according to WHO. Most victims suffer irreversible neurological consequences.

The largest recorded outbreak of epidemic meningitis was recorded in Africa in 1996, with over 250,000 cases and 25,000 deaths registered. 

The current WHO recommendation for outbreak control is to mass vaccinate every district that is in an epidemic phase, as well as those contiguous districts that are in alert phase. It is estimated that a mass immunization campaign, promptly implemented, can avoid 70 per cent of cases.