5 Critical Ways To Avoid Lassa Fever

Lassa fever is one of the types of haemorrhagic fevers which is common in Africa and Nigeria. The disease was discovered in, and named after a town called ‘Lassa’ in Borno state more than 40 years agom
The signs and symptoms of Lassa fever infection is similar to those of other highly communicable viral diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Lassa fever infection or simply put Lassa fever, is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness of 2-21 days duration that occurs in West Africa. The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.

Earlier this year, the disease became an epidemic in more than 19 states of the country, killing scores of people due to ignorance or some people not adhering to simple pieces of medical advice.
More than 80% of people infected with Lassa fever have the following symptoms displayed here.
Below are five important steps to take to avoid Lassa fever infection:

1. Eat highly nutritious meal: Eating balanced diet with the right composition helps to boost the immune system. The resulting effect is that anti-bodies (the white blood cells) in the body system are re-energised, thereby preventing someone from contracting diseases. Eating well and at the right time with so much physical activities and exercises are one of the best ways to prevent Lassa fever infection.

2. Maintaining good personal and environmental hygiene: Cleanliness is next to Godliness, is a common saying. It invariably means that God, the Creator will never ill or get sick. Then if someone if neat and makes sure his surroundings are clean, nothing like disease will get him. It should be known that it has been experimentally proven that rats causing Lassa fever are only found in a filthy and unkempt household. As long as, an individual maintains the highest level of hygiene, he is more than 97% sure that, he is hardly to contract infectious diseases. Another angle to maintaining good personal hygiene is to immediately visit a physician, if someone observes he is having feverish condition which is going beyond 2-3 days.








Isaac Dakum, a popular rat poison seller in Ogba, Lagos with some of the rat poisons he sells.

3. Using protective clothing materials: A medical officer or a health worker, who finds himself inside the four walls of a health centre or hospital should use protective clothing materials like face mask, hand gloves and long overall gowns, especially if he or she attends to Lassa fever patients. If this is not done, he or she could get himself or herself infected with nosocomia infections.
Nosocomia infections are diseases a person contracts at a health centre or a hospital from someone, who has the disease. They include all forms of diseases patients in the hospital have.

4. Keeping foods at home in properly stored containers: The food store at home should be well secured in order to prevent rats and rodents from urinating or defaecating on the food. Traps and well-sealed containers could be used to protect the food. All cooking utensils should be cleaned after used and also kept at where rats will not get to them.

5. Cooking food properly: Scientifically writing, most viral and haemorrhagic diseases are thermophobic in nature. What does this mean? Thermophobic organisms that are killed or do not survive high environmental temperatures. Therefore, if someone boils the food he or she wants to eat very well and also cooks it for a longer time, the microorganisms in the food will die, which will make them ineffective to harm the person who eats such food.

#Take time to eat.