Lassa fever: NASFAT Doka Branch Urges members to stay safe

Lassa fever: NASFAT Doka Branch Urges members to stay safe

Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria

NASFAT Doka Branch Kaduna has called on its members to take precautionary measures to avoid being infected with  Lassa fever which is reported to be present in Kaduna state.

Dr. Folorunsho Nuhu, member NASFAT Doka branch who is also elders’ committee member made this call while delivering a health talk during asalat held at Doka mosque.

He said it has become pertinent to educate members so as to know how to go about preventing  themselves because prevention is said to be better and cheaper than cure.

Lassa fever is endemic not pandemic like Covid-19 that you find all over the world.

“It is restricted to certain part of the world like to west Africa, East Africa. Nigeria being in the west Africa sub region also have a share of it.

“It comes in season and we are in the season. Already, some cases of Lassa fever have been recorded in the eastern part of Nigeria, the south south, and Kaduna also have recorded some cases too. He said.

Dr. Nuhu cutioned members to be very careful.

Lassa fever is a disease caused by a virus called Lassa virus.

The rat that carries Lassa fever virus from one place to another. he explained does not transmit this disease by bitting people but through contamination. Food is contaminated through the saliva, urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats.

“The moment the the rat feeds on our house hold food, it can urinate or pour saliva on our food and when such food is eaten, such individual can beak down with Lassa fever.

“Another mode of transmission is through direct contact with someone who has the symptoms of Lassa fever. Could be through the person’s sweat, saliva or through contact with an item that has been contaminated.

Such item like for example a towel used  by one who has the symptoms of the disease, one can get infected.

Stressing, he said “Lassa fever is common in hospital environment but does not mean that in a community, you cannot have someone who is carrying the virus.

So, we have to be very careful. If someone also eats rat that is infected with Lassa fever, if such rat is not cooked very well to kill all the viruses, such person is at risk.

Knowing how the disease is transmitted will gives one the preventive measures to take. The doctor stressed.

Amongst the preventive measures is that of personal hygiene. Such as clearing bushes around us, making sure that we clear all the cabbages in our kitchens and rooms so that the rat will have no place to hide.

“In addition, let us cover all our food items. Don’t keep your gari uncovered because the rat can feed on it and get it contaminated.

Most importantly, let’s limit our contact especially where we have a suspect like someone coughing, sneezing or someone vomiting blood.

Speaking on the symptoms and signs of Lassa fever, the doctor explained.

“Most of the symptoms are similar with that we find in malaria, typhoid and cattaarh. But there are some specific signs. The person who has presented with common symptoms like fever, body pain, body weakness headache, fatigue can start vomiting blood.

Blood can start coming from the  eyes, and the person can also pass bloody stool. In advance Lassa fever case, blood can come out from all the openings in the body.

Please let’s go to the nearest hospital when we notice anyone of these symptoms for medical checkup and guide.

Still on health issue, the Health Secretary, NASFAT Kaduna Branch, Hajiya  Kudirat Salman, current Zonal Women Affairs Secretary during the distribution of first phase of deworming  tabs to members of NASFAT Doka branch spoke on the importance of  ‘deworming’ especially now that fasting is by the corner.

By so doing, the system becomes cleansed up and one becomes healthier to go through the ramadan fast, she said.

“The advantage of deworming ourselves before ramadan is to enable us to be able to carry on with our fasting without tiredness before iftar. ( breaking of fast).

If we are able to deworm ourselves, that will make our digestion very easy, and not to be taken up by the worms in your intestine.

Hajiya Salman encouraged every mother to once in a while ensure that the children are dewormed