While the entire world is yet to relieve itself from the clutches of the bats-transmitted coronavirus-induced COVID-19, rats-spread Lassa fever has already claimed lives in the UK. This is the first time, since 2009, Lassa fever cases have been seen, the UK health security agency has said. “Prior to these cases, there have been 8 cases of Lassa fever imported to the UK since 1980. The last 2 cases occurred in 2009,” it has said and has added that the cases are within the same family in the East of England and are linked to recent travel to West Africa.
As per the data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), on February 14, 2022, in Nigeria from 3 to 30 January 2022, 211 laboratory confirmed Lassa fever cases including 40 deaths. Of the 211 laboratory confirmed cases, five cases have been reported among health workers, the WHO report says.
“Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and the annual peak of Lassa fever cases is typically observed during the dry season (December–April). Thus, the number of infections is expected to rise further until the end of the dry season,” the WHO has said and added that the number of cases in this endemic season is much higher than previous seasons may be due to lack of surveillance and laboratory tests.
COVID-19 has been the prime focus of health experts all over the world. The pandemic which is currently in its third wave which can be the main reason why the health sector has not been able to focus on other serious medical complications including cancer.
