Abstract
IntroductionThe diagnosis of Lassa fever is crucial to confirm cases, as well as to control/prevent nosocomial and community-based transmission and initiation of treatment, which is still limited in the country. Thus, we aimed at providing some information on the laboratory detection of Lassa from suspected cases in Nigeria.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of seasonal Lassa fever outbreaks data from 1,263 samples analyzed using Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) at the Virology Research Laboratory, College of Medicine, University of Lagos/Lagos University Teaching Hospital between year 2011 and 2017. Data were analyzed using the 21st edition of SPSS statistical software (2015).ResultsThe RT-PCR test confirmed the presence of Lassa in 112 (8.9%) comprising 61 (54.4%) males, 48 (42.9%) females and 3 (2.7%) individuals without gender information. Those aged between 18 and 49 years were mostly affected. There was a decline in the detection of Lassa from 4.7% in 2011/2012 to less than 1% by the 2014/2015. However, during the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons the detection rates increased to 10.4% and 15.1% respectively. The Northern region of Nigeria reported high confirmed cases of Lassa. The South Western region also witnessed an increased Lassa fever positivity rate of 13.4% of which Lagos and Ogun states being the focal state of Lassa activity in the region.ConclusionThese established the need for heightening the continued surveillance for Lassa as well as the establishment of other testing facilities within these endemic regions for prompt diagnosis of Lassa fever.
Highlights
Lassa virus (LASV), a member of the family; Arenaviridae is the causative agent of Lassa fever (LF), or Lassa hemorrhagic fever which is characterized by a common acute and often fatal febrile syndrome endemic to West Africa [1,2,3,4]
Lassa fever differs from most viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) in that it is endemic to a large geographic area of sub-Saharan Africa
Unlike before where Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed Lassa positive cases were detected from few states, detection of Lassa was reported in more states during the 2015/2016 outbreak season in Nigeria
Summary
Lassa virus (LASV), a member of the family; Arenaviridae is the causative agent of Lassa fever (LF), or Lassa hemorrhagic fever which is characterized by a common acute and often fatal febrile syndrome endemic to West Africa [1,2,3,4]. The Multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis, discovered in 1974 as a natural host and reservoir of lassa virus (LASV) is a commensal rodent ubiquitous in Africa [2,3,10,11,12]. Other reservoirs such as Hylomyscus pamfi and Mastomys erythroleucus had been discovered to harbor Lassa [3]. Unlike the rare outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), LF cases in sub-Saharan Africa are common and occur annually, posing a continuous theoretical threat to other parts of Africa and the world at large
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