Outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria
NaijaRock
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Posted by Felix Okoli on Friday January 22, 2016 at 13:9:58:
There has been an outbreak of Lassa fever in several states of Nigeria and it has officially led to the death of over 60 people according to media reports. It has spread to 17 states which are Bauchi, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Plateau, Gombe, Nasarawa, Lagos, Delta, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Zamfara and Kogi as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).What is Lassa Fever? Well, it's not malaria fever but similar to it since it causes high body temperature. Lassa fever is an acute and often fatal viral disease, with fever, occurring chiefly in West Africa. It is usually acquired from infected rats.Lassa fever got it's name from Lassa, a town in Borno state where the virus was first discovered in 1969. It belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus.Symptoms associated with Lassa fever includes headache, nausea and vomiting, and muscle pain. It suppresses the immune system and it's a viral illness and normally spreads through the body fluids of infected rats and persons such as through urine, stool, saliva and nasal fluid.
Serious symptoms include hemorrhaging of the person's eyes, gums, or nose and repeated vomiting, respiratory distress, pain in the back, chest and abdomen, facial swelling and shock.Tips to protect yourself from Lassa Fever:- Stop eating rats
- Stop eating unprotected food
- Stop patronizing restaurants that are dirty or infested with rats
- Boost your immunity by eating right and exercising. Take fruits and vegetables.
- Store your garri, rice and other food items properly in an enclosed container.
- Stop drinking garri unless it has been properly preserved.
There has been an outbreak of Lassa fever in several states of Nigeria and it has officially led to the death of over 60 people according to media reports. It has spread to 17 states which are Bauchi, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Plateau, Gombe, Nasarawa, Lagos, Delta, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Zamfara and Kogi as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).What is Lassa Fever? Well, it's not malaria fever but similar to it since it causes high body temperature. Lassa fever is an acute and often fatal viral disease, with fever, occurring chiefly in West Africa. It is usually acquired from infected rats.Lassa fever got it's name from Lassa, a town in Borno state where the virus was first discovered in 1969. It belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus.Symptoms associated with Lassa fever includes headache, nausea and vomiting, and muscle pain. It suppresses the immune system and it's a viral illness and normally spreads through the body fluids of infected rats and persons such as through urine, stool, saliva and nasal fluid.
Serious symptoms include hemorrhaging of the person's eyes, gums, or nose and repeated vomiting, respiratory distress, pain in the back, chest and abdomen, facial swelling and shock.Tips to protect yourself from Lassa Fever:- Stop eating rats
- Stop eating unprotected food
- Stop patronizing restaurants that are dirty or infested with rats
- Boost your immunity by eating right and exercising. Take fruits and vegetables.
- Store your garri, rice and other food items properly in an enclosed container.
- Stop drinking garri unless it has been properly preserved.