Lassa Fever: One dead at Tema General Hospital

One person has been reported dead from Lassa Fever at the Tema General Hospital.

Authorities at the Hospital have been very tight lipped with details on the outbreak of the Lassa Fever and the identity of the victim.

The acute viral haemorrhagic illness is transmitted through rodent excreta. Lassa Fever is endemic in West Africa because of its rodent population.

Following over 40 deaths in neighboring Nigeria from the fever, the Ghana Health Service put the country on high alert.

GhONE TV’s Evans Nkum reporting from the Tema General Hospital stated that some staff of the facility who came in contact with the victim have been quarantined to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

According to him, most of the nurses and staff at the facility were unaware of the nature of the disease until the case was reported at the hospital.

At least 43 people have died and 450 people are ill from the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, according to the World Health Organisation.

About Lassa Fever

Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic illness, is endemic in most of West Africa, especially Nigeria, where it was discovered in 1969. Symptoms can be mild or severe, including hemorrhaging in the gums, eyes or nose.

Many of its symptoms mimic Ebola, but Lassa fever is caused by the Lassa virus and transmitted by multimammate rats.

The disease is transmitted to humans through contact with food or items contaminated by infected rats or through contact with bodily fluids from an infected person.

The WHO said Tuesday that from January 1 through February 4, there have been 450 suspected cases reported, and 132 of those have been laboratory-confirmed.

However, a report released Sunday by the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control said that as of February 11, there were 615 reported cases, with 193 of those confirmed, and it put the number of deaths at 57. The discrepancy could be due to a delay in reporting data to the WHO.

Source: Starrfmonline.com