WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
AND OTHER EMERGENCIES
Week 4: 20 - 26 January 2020
Data as reported by: 17:00; 26 January 2020
...
Lassa Fever Sierra Leone
9 Cases
5 Deaths
55.5% CFR
EVENT DESCRIPTION
On 17 January 2020, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of
Sierra Leone notified WHO of a confirmed Lassa fever case in Kono
district, which is bordering the Republic of Guinea to the east. The
case-patient, an 8-year old girl from Kangama town, Kono district,
presented to the Kangama Community Health Centre on 12 January
2020 with a fever of 38.1?C and vomiting. Following a positive Rapid
Diagnostic Test for malaria on her initial visit, she was treated with
antimalarial drugs and rehydrated. However, the disease eventually
progressed in the subsequent days and she was referred from the
Kangama community Health Centre to the paediatric isolation ward
at Kono district hospital on 14 January 2020 with high-grade fever
and vaginal bleeding. The patient died shortly after her admission.
A blood specimen collected on arrival at Kono district hospital was
sent to the Lassa fever Kenema Reference Laboratory and tested
positive for Lassa fever by reverse transcription polymerase chain
reaction (RT-PCR).
Between 30 October 2019 and 17 January 2020, a total of nine
suspected Lassa fever cases including five deaths was reported
in three districts: Tonkolili (five cases with three deaths), Kenema
(three cases with one death) and Kono (one case with one death).
Of these nine suspected cases, five were laboratory confirmed
for Lassa fever (three in Tonkolili and two in Kenema districts).
Investigations established that there is no epidemiological link
between the recently confirmed Lassa fever case in Kono district
and the two clusters identified in Tonkolili and Kenema districts.
Liberia and Nigeria are currently experiencing Lassa fever outbreaks
as well, with no links to the transmission chains in Sierra Leone.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS
On 17 January 2020, the Director of Health Security and
Emergencies at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra
Leone convened a meeting with partners to formally release
information on the recently reported Lassa fever confirmed case
in Kono district.
A safe burial was conducted on 15 January 2020, under the
supervision of the Kono District Health Management Team, to
prevent exposure of the case family members and the community
to the Lassa fever virus.
Surveillance has been enhanced in Kono district, including active
case search, identification and follow-up of contacts. A total of
32 contacts have been identified and are being monitored for a
duration of 21 days.
Infection Prevention and Control measures are being strengthened
in the community and healthcare settings in Kono district.
Serosurveys, vector characterization and social-cultural studies
conducted by the Kenema Lassa Fever Research team in endemic
areas across the country are ongoing.
SITUATION INTERPRETATION
Lassa fever is endemic in many West African countries. The current
outbreaks in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Liberia highlight the need to
step up Lassa fever prevention and control measures in West African
countries, including improving sensitization to Lassa fever, community
hygiene and routine universal precautions in healthcare settings.
Strengthening cross-border surveillance and collaboration among
West African countries are also paramount, given the high population
movement between these countries.
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/330642/OEW04-2026012020.pdf
