Staying Safe from Lassa Fever: A Guide for Women and Children

Nigeria is currently under the siege of the Lassa fever outbreak. Therefore, staying safe is the best preventive measure. The fever is produced by Lassa virus, which causes acute viral hemorrhagic fever, and is spread to humans via contact with infected rodents or contaminated surfaces. Children and women are more susceptible, hence the need for awareness. This article explores the symptoms, and prevention of this disease.

Symptoms of Lassa Fever

It appears between 7 days to 3 weeks after contact with the virus. Severity ranges from moderate to severe. Common symptoms include: Fever Headache Diarrhea Vomiting Abdominal pain Weakness In severe cases, there’s bleeding through the mouth, nose and other body openings which results in death. The Lassa fever mortality rate is estimated at 15%, but extended mortality rates affect patients who lack proper medical care, or poor health conditions.

Preventive Measures

1.Avoid Contact with Rodents

• The Lassa virus transmission mostly occurs through rodents which makes rodent control an essential element for prevention.
• Keep rodents out of your home by applying tight sealants to all wall holes, doorways, and windows.
• Placing food in sealed containers together with proper garbage disposal methods work to repel rodents from the area.
• Regular cleaning of food preparation areas alongside food storage locations should be done to decrease rodent attractions.

2. Good Hygiene Practices

Good hygiene practices serve as an essential method to stop the transmission of Lassa fever.

• Regular handwashing with soap and water for at least twenty seconds must be done frequently especially after contact with food, waste or visits to public areas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states handwashing as an extremely efficient method to stop infection transmission.
• When regular soap and water solutions are unavailable, hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol content should be used.
• Children need training about face avoidance because it reduces the possibility of infections through facial contact.

3. Safe Food Handling

• The prevention of Lassa fever depends on preparing food properly.
• The first step in food safety includes thorough cooking of all meals particularly,  when dealing with rodent or wild animal ingredients. Food safety can be achieved when the virus dies during cooking processes since the product becomes safe to consume.
• Raw food together with any form of undercooked foods should be completely avoided, because pathogens hide in these sorts of foods.

4. Stay Informed

• Women and children should regularly check health advisory updates by accessing information from reliable organizations such as WHO and CDC.
• Check both local health department bulletins and visit the WHO and CDC websites to obtain Lassa fever outbreak reports and suggestions.
• You should both educate yourself along with spreading knowledge about Lassa fever symptoms and preventive strategies to your children, so they can understand the situation better.

5. Limit Exposure to Infected Individuals

• Lassa fever spreads through contact or exchange of fluid from an infected to a non-infected person.
• Avoid contact with people showing symptoms of fever and bleeding.
• Whenever you are caring for someone who might have Lassa fever, protect yourself. As a woman working in healthcare, take this measure especially seriously.

6. Vaccination and Medical Precautions

At present medical authorities have not developed a vaccine against Lassa fever however following precautions remain effective:

• Early Diagnosis and Treatment: Seek medical attention immediately if you or your child exhibit the symptoms. The effectiveness of supportive care depends on early diagnosis in order to improve treatment outcomes.
• Healthcare professionals should provide specific directions regarding Lassa fever treatment and symptom management which patients need to follow.

7. Educate Children

• Children need education about Lassa fever together with instructions on how to prevent its occurrence.
• Introduce handwashing education and clean hygiene practices to your children. Explain the benefits of handwashing as well as the value of daily hygiene maintenance.
• Also, they should learn how to recognize symptoms which then enables them to report illness to you.

8. Community Engagement

The prevention of Lassa fever outbreaks depends heavily on what communities do.

• The health education programs of local communities work together with Community Awareness Programs to deliver prevention, and hygiene information about Lassa fever.
• Joint efforts with local health authorities need to be established, for promoting community-wide sanitation services, and rodent control operations.

READ ALSO: World Hearing Day Why Women Should Pay Attention to Hearing and Self-Care A comprehensive strategy that involves preventive approaches and hygiene standards starts with community outreach programs. This should be used to protect women and children from Lassa fever outcomes. Implementation of these strategies will help minimize infection probability. Through education we build power and knowledge which enables us to effectively overcome this challenge. The CDC website along with the WHO website deliver extensive resources regarding Lassa fever prevention and treatment.