Lassa fever outbreak: Experts advice on promoting good community hygiene
Experts in the health sector have called on families, communities and individuals to promote good community hygiene, as it is one of the most effective way to prevent the spread of Lassa fever.
The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces. It is also transmitted through contact of bodily fluids (including urine and sweat), faeces or blood with an infected person.
“Maintaining good hygiene at home such as eliminating rats out of the house and food supplies, ensuring that foods are well cooked before eating, disposing all refuse far away from homes, avoiding bodily fluid and blood contact while caring for a sick person and ensuring that all foodstuffs are put in rodent-proof containers are some of the effective preventive measures that can be implored to help prevent the outbreak” Said Oluniyi Olatunde MBBS/Medical practitioner at Araba Specialist Hospital, Lagos.
He added that “Health workers should endeavour to apply standard infection prevention and control precautions when caring for patients, use protective gears like gloves, nose masks, laboratory coats, and goggles when attending to patients, ensure safe burial practises, Only trained staff should handle blood samples taken from humans or animals for Lassa fever investigations, educate the public on Lassa fever prevention, and keep infected patients isolated”.
Furthermore, “people should take safety measures while in public places like avoid body contacts with sweaty people, avoid roadside foods unless they are sure the food was properly cooked also, wash and sanitize their hands always”. Olatunde said.
The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) in a press release said it has been notified of four cases of Lassa fever among health care workers in Ebonyi State and three of the four cases have subsequently passed away.
Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner for Health, Daniel Umezuruike, said two of the dead patients were medical doctors while the third person was a nurse all working at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA).
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, “Health care workers in health facilities are particularly at risk of contracting the disease, especially where infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures are not strictly adhered to”.
Furthermore, “we therefore strongly advise that health care workers practice universal care precautions while handling patients at all times, not just when Lassa fever is suspected”.
Also, “extra caution should be taken by family members who are providing care for patients with Lassa fever. In addition, States are encouraged to ensure safe burial practices for patients who die from Lassa fever” Ihekweazu said.
However, the health agency, in response to the outbreak of the disease in the state, said the Federal Ministry of Health through the NCDC in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, WHO had commenced public health response supporting for Ebonyi State Ministry of Health.
“A rapid response team has been deployed to support the state in response coordination, contact tracing, case management and strengthening infection prevention and control, IPC procedures. Medical supplies and drugs have also being supplied to support case management in the state,” Ihekweazu said in a note.
MICHEAL ANI