news desk Laugh
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) today reported two confirmed cases of Lassa fever from the Noguchi Memorial Medical Research Institute on Friday. Both cases reside in Accra.
The first case was a 40-year-old merchant, who was ill for about 2 weeks and died at Corle Bow Teaching Hospital.
The second case, a contact of the fatal case, is currently hospitalized and is in stable condition.
To date, 56 contacts have been identified and are being followed up.
Ghana is one of the West African countries where Lassa fever is endemic, along with Benin, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Mali, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever spread through contact with infected rodents, their urine or droppings. Lassa fever can also be passed from person to person through contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.
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Symptoms of Lassa fever (fever, chills, headache, and fatigue) develop 1-3 weeks after infection. About 20% of people infected with Lassa fever develop severe illness that can lead to hemorrhagic haemorrhage, shortness of breath, vomiting, facial swelling, chest, back, and abdominal pain, and sometimes death.
Ghana recorded 5.7 million cases of malaria in 2021
Nigeria is on alert following the reported outbreak of Marburg virus disease in Equatorial Guinea
A measles outbreak has been reported in Cape Town
The toll of Lassa fever in Nigeria has surpassed 500 confirmed cases
