​WHO assists Nigeria to contain Lassa fever outbreak

The  World Health Organization is scaling up its response to outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria, which has spread to 17 states infected up to 450 people between 1 January and 4 February 2018. 

 No less than 132 cases  are laboratory confirmed Lassa fever with 43 deaths reported, 37 of which were lab confirmed. 

A statement from WHO said among those infected are 11 health workers, four of whom have died.

"The acute viral haemorrhagic fever is endemic in Nigeria but for the current outbreak the hot spots are the southern states of Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi. 

  “The high number of Lassa fever cases is concerning. We are observing an unusually high number of cases for this time of year, ” said Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, WHO Representative to Nigeria.

 The Agency  is advising national authorities on strengthening infection, prevention and control practices in healthcare settings. 

With the increase in the number of cases, WHO initially donated personal protective equipment to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and to the affected states and procured laboratory reagents to support the prompt diagnosis of Lassa fever. 

The WHO is deploying international experts to coordinate the response, strengthen surveillance, provide treatment guidelines, and engage with communities to raise awareness on prevention and treatment.

 Since the onset of the outbreak, WHO Nigeria deployed staff from the national and state levels to support the Government of Nigeria’s national Lassa fever Emergency Operations Centre and state surveillance activities.  

The WHO is helping to coordinate health actors and is joining rapid risk assessment teams travelling to hot spots to investigate the outbreak.

 The agency observed that healthcare workers caring for Lassa fever patients require extra infection and control measures, including the use of personal protective equipment to prevent contact with patients’ bodily fluids.