How negligence sustains Lassa fever – Expert

The chairperson of National Lassa fever steering committee, Oyewale Tomori said Nigeria has “lost respect” for viral haemorrhagic fevers, giving room for Lassa fever epidemics to recur nearly every year since it first emerged in 1969.

Tomori, a professor of virology, speaking at a high-level panel of Lassa fever organised by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, said, “Our lack of commitment, not owning our own problems, bad governance what’s responsible.”

“Until we change governance, we will remain where we are. Fifty years from now, if all of you are alive, you will still hear the same story about Lassa.” Over the years, infrastructure for managing and are containing infectious disease outbreaks has folded, leaving only a couple of labs and the Irrua Specialist hospital to deal with viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks.

Tomori said there was no reason every state could not have isolation wards.

“If it were Ebola, who would come in to visit? We’ve lost respect for Lassa fever, we’ve lost respect for many of these diseases. If any of these cases were Ebola, even if you give them back [their relatives’ bodies], they wouldn’t come near it,” said Tomori.

“Every disease is dangerous. The result of Ebola is death; the result of Lassa is death.”

Ten weeks into the outbreak, 90 people have died from Lassa fever among 374 confirmed cases of the disease. More than 1300 cases were suspected.