Two medics have been confirmed killed by Lassa fever in the last 72 hours in Oyo state, southwestern Nigeria, a medical association said on Thursday.
In a statement, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) described the Lassa fever outbreak in the country as “a new onslaught”, noting that it broke out “when we believed COVID-19 had does its work”.
“We are concerned for other health workers who have been in contact with the deceased without knowing it,” the NMA said, adding that it had advised other health workers affected to be quarantined and treated. all febrile illnesses with a high index of suspicion.
Lassa fever is usually transmitted when the saliva, urine, and feces of rats come into contact with humans through their food or water. Human-to-human transmission is rare but can occur through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person.
In some cases, Lassa fever has symptoms similar to those of malaria, appearing between one and three weeks following exposure to the virus. In mild cases, the disease causes fever, fatigue, weakness and headache.
As part of measures to contain the outbreak among medical workers, the NMA said it has instructed frontline doctors and other healthcare workers to wear appropriate personal protective equipment at all times.
On Saturday, the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said the death toll from Lassa fever in Africa’s most populous country stood at 86 as of February 21.
He said 74 of the country’s 774 local government areas had been affected by the haemorrhagic fever since January.
The case fatality rate in the country has reached 19.1% since the start of the year, according to the NCDC.
The latter said he was distributing medical intervention products to states and treatment centers, as part of measures to control the spread.
Nigeria has activated the national multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary Lassa fever emergency operations center in response to the outbreak since late January.
