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Published Date: 2019-01-08 13:03:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Lassa fever - West Africa (02): Togo (KA)
Archive Number: 20190108.6248252
LASSA FEVER - WEST AFRICA (02): TOGO (KARA)
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Date: Mon 7 Jan 2019
Source: Outbreak News Today [edited]
http://outbreaknewstoday.com/lassa-fever-case-reported-doufelgou-togo-27889/


The Togo government confirmed last week [week of 1 Jan 2019] a Lassa fever case reported in Doufelgou district [Kara region] in the north of the country, according to a Agence de Presse Africaine report (computer translated).

This was a hemorrhagic fever case according to officials.

Lassa fever is a rare but potentially life-threatening viral hemorrhagic disease. The risk of infection is low but can occur if someone comes into contact with an infected person's blood or bodily fluids. Lassa fever cannot be spread through casual contact, including skin to skin contact, without exchange of bodily fluids. Those at highest-risk would be health care workers treating patients in facilities known to have Lassa fever and family members caring for infected patients.

Early diagnosis and supportive care are essential. One should consult a medical professional if he or she has been in direct contact with an infected person within the past 3 weeks and have symptoms of Lassa fever, which include: fever, chest, stomach or back pain, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, or mucosal bleeding.

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Lassa fever virus is endemic in much of northwest Africa, including Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso. There have been cases of Lassa fever in Togo as recently as 2017. In the 2017 report, health authorities in Togo implemented the following measures to respond to these Lassa fever cases, including:
- deployment of rapid response teams to the affected areas for epidemiological investigation;
- identification of contacts and follow-up;
- strengthening of infection prevention and control measures in health facilities and briefing of health workers;
- strengthening of cross border collaboration and information exchanges between Togo, Burkina, Mali, and Benin.

It seems odd that the case report above does not mention contact with rodent reservoirs of the virus or their excrement as a source of infection. Lassa fever virus is transmitted to humans from contact with food or household items contaminated with excreta of multimammate rats (_Mastomys_ spp), the reservoir host. Public education is an important measure to prevent infections in the home.

Images of the rodent reservoirs of Lassa fever virus can be seen as follows:
_Mastomys natalensis_: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/45326-Mastomys-natalensis
_M. erythroleucus_ and _Hylomyscus pamfi_: http://punchng.com/nigerias-large-rat-population-threatens-lassa-fever-war/. - Mod.TY

Maps of Togo: https://www.comersis.com/c-images/TG/Togo-regions-prefectures-map.jpg and < http://healthmap.org/promed/p/64802>]

See Also

2017
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Lassa fever - West Africa (10): Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso 20170312.4896305
Lassa fever - West Africa (28): Germany (NW) local transmission, Togo, WHO 20160428.4190457
Lassa fever - West Africa (20): Germany (NW) local transmission, Togo, WHO 20160324.4115285
Lassa fever - West Africa (15): Togo (SA) 20160317.4101976
Lassa fever - West Africa (13): Togo, USA (GA) ex Togo susp, Nigeria 20160314.4090655
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