More Days Needed to Declare Ghana Lassa Fever Free ― GHS

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has requested more time to finally declare the country, Lassa Fever Free.

According to the Director of Public Health at GHS, Dr. Badu Sarkodie, the service needs 40 more days to settle that the disease has no further threat on the Ghanaian populace.

Following a confirmed case of Lassa fever earlier this month, at the Tema General Hospital, health authorities issued a red alert and also imposed surveillance and screening procedures at the various entry points into the country.

They also embarked on an extensive 21 days monitoring of some 92 persons who were reported to have had physical contact with the victim of the first case detected in Ghana.

The 92 who were identified, traced and quarantined comprised of health workers of the Tema General Hospital who worked on the patient, his friends, family and others.

“We have finished the 21 days follow up for all the contacts. None of them developed any signs and symptoms so eventually the secondary transmission is almost over but to declare it over, you need another 21 days from last week,” Dr Sarkodie told Starr News.

He continued: “Apart from that one case, there were more than hundred contacts. We followed all of them adequately. In Tema and Ashaiman and also in Adenta and the staff that handled the case. None of them have developed any signs and symptoms.”

Now, “the likelihood of further transmission is almost Zero,” the health director assured.

Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever, which is endemic in West Africa, and transmitted through contact with infected rodents, especially rats.

It has an incubation period of about six to 21 days, with an often-gradual onset with non-specific signs and symptoms, but it is commonly characterised by fever, headaches, malaise, and general weakness at the early stages and then later hearing loss.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]