Ghana Declares End To Lassa Fever Outbreak

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has declared an end to the outbreak of Lassa fever 42 days after the last confirmed case was discharged.

In a press release dated May 2, the Service said the declaration was in line with the World Health Organisation’s mandatory 42-day post-Lassa fever surveillance countdown period.

Ghana recorded its first case of Lassa fever on February 24 in a trader in the Greater Accra region. She reported to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital with breathing difficulties, rashes and bloody stools and died five hours later, the GHS reports.

The second patient was a healthcare personnel who contracted it from the first case. She survived after being quarantined and treated at Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC).

In addition, 25 more cases were recorded, however, without any recorded casualty.

During that period, the GHS said, 237 contacts were identified and made to self-quarantine; confirmed cases were managed at the GIDC; educational materials on the disease were disseminated and; active surveillance on suspected cases in affected districts was carried out.

The last patient got discharged from the GIDC on March 10.

About Lassa Fever
Lassa fever is caused by the Lassa virus transmitted from Mastomys rats to humans primarily through food or items contaminated with rat faeces or urine. Human-to-human transmission can also occur to a lesser extent in instances of direct contact with body fluids, blood, secretions of infected individuals and sexual intercourse.

The illness may exhibit symptoms such as general body pain, fever, headache, sore throat, chest pain, muscle pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, cough, abdominal pain, bleeding from the mouth, nose vagina or stomach and death.

According to the Service, there is no vaccine to protect against the virus, however, there is an antiviral drug which is much more effective when taken earlier.

Symptoms shall be confirmed to be Lassa fever after a positive IgM antibody, PCR, or virus isolation according to the GHS.

The disease is currently endemic in Nigeria, Sierra Leon, Liberia Guinea, Benin, and Mali.

Prevention
It can be prevented by maintaining a clean environment.