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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Containing a Lassa fever epidemic in a resource-limited setting: Outbreak description and lessons learned from Abakaliki, Nigeria (January-March 2012)
International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 17, No. 11, Year 2013
Notification
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Description
Objectives: Despite the epidemic nature of Lassa fever (LF), details of outbreaks and response strategies have not been well documented in resource-poor settings. We describe the course of a LF outbreak in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, during January to March 2012. Methods: We analyzed clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory data from surveillance records and hospital statistics during the outbreak. Fisher's exact tests were used to compare proportions and t-tests to compare differences in means. Results: The outbreak response consisted of effective coordination, laboratory testing, active surveillance, community mobilization, contact and suspected case evaluation, and case management. Twenty LF cases (10 confirmed and 10 suspected) were recorded during the outbreak. Nosocomial transmission to six health workers occurred through the index case. Only 1/110 contacts had an asymptomatic infection. Overall, there was high case fatality rate among all cases (6/20; 30%). Patients who received ribavirin were less likely to die than those who did not (p = 0.003). The mean delay to presentation for patients who died was 11 ± 3.5 days, while for those who survived was 6 ± 2.6 days (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The response strategies contained the epidemic. Challenges to control efforts included poor local laboratory capacity, inadequate/poor quality of protective materials, fear among health workers, and inadequate emergency preparedness. © 2013 International Society for Infectious Diseases.
Authors & Co-Authors
Ajayi, Nnennaya Anthony
Nigeria, Abakaliki
Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
Nwigwe, Chinedu Gregory
Nigeria, Abakaliki
Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
Azuogu, Benedict Ndubueze
Nigeria, Abakaliki
Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
Onyire, Benson Nnamdi
Nigeria, Abakaliki
Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
Nwonwu, Elizabeth Uzoamaka
Nigeria, Abakaliki
Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
Ogbonnaya, Lawrence Ulu
Nigeria, Abakaliki
Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
Onwe, Francis
Nigeria, Abakaliki
Ministry of Health
Ekaete, Tobin
Nigeria, Benin
Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital
Günther, Stephan
Germany, Hamburg
Bernhard Nocht Institut Fur Tropenmedizin Hamburg
Ukwaja, Kingsley Nnanna
Nigeria, Abakaliki
Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki
Statistics
Citations: 89
Authors: 10
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.ijid.2013.05.015
ISSN:
12019712
e-ISSN:
18783511
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Study Locations
Nigeria