Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.who.int/csr/don/8-april-2016-lassa-fever-sweden/en/
[h=1]Lassa Fever ? Sweden[/h] Disease outbreak news
8 April 2016
On 1 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for Sweden notified WHO of an imported case of Lassa fever infection.
The case is a 73-year-old woman returning to Sweden after travelling for 6 weeks across Liberia. She spent her first week in Monrovia. She then stayed for a week in Yekeba. During her third week in Liberia, the patient was in Voinjama where she was exposed to rodents. The patient spent the remaining weeks in Foya Kamara. She returned to Sweden on 2 March. Around 8 March, the patient developed symptoms (fever, chills, joint pain, headache and diarrhoea) and, on 17 March, was admitted to hospital. Medical investigations showed signs of encephalitis.
On 1 April, Lassa fever was laboratory confirmed at the Public Health Agency of Sweden by serology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. The patient gradually recovered during her hospitalization but her hearing deteriorated. To prevent secondary transmission, she was transported to a specialized treatment centre and placed in an isolation unit.
[h=3]Public health response[/h] Contact tracing among health care workers and family members has been completed. A total of 74 contacts are currently under observation. The follow-up period (21 days) for the last identified contact will be over on 22 April.
[h=3]WHO risk assessment[/h] Cases of Lassa fever have already been imported from West Africa to Europe. Data from recent imported cases in Western countries show that secondary transmission of Lassa is rare when standard infection control precautions are observed but might occur. Therefore, the risk for further transmission of Lassa fever in Sweden cannot be excluded but it is currently considered to be low. WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conduct risk assessments based on the latest available information.
[h=3]WHO advice[/h] Considering the seasonal flare ups of cases during this time of the year, countries in West Africa that are endemic for Lassa fever are encouraged to strengthen their related surveillance systems.
Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Lassa fever should apply extra infection control measures to prevent contact with the patient?s blood and body fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials such as clothing and bedding. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with Lassa fever, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures).
Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from humans and animals for investigation of Lassa virus infection should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories under maximum biological containment conditions.
The diagnosis of Lassa fever should be considered in febrile patients returning from areas where Lassa fever is endemic. Health-care workers seeing a patient suspected to have Lassa fever should immediately contact local and national experts for advice and to arrange for laboratory testing.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restriction to Sweden nor Liberia based on the current information available.
[h=1]Lassa Fever ? Sweden[/h] Disease outbreak news
8 April 2016
On 1 April 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for Sweden notified WHO of an imported case of Lassa fever infection.
The case is a 73-year-old woman returning to Sweden after travelling for 6 weeks across Liberia. She spent her first week in Monrovia. She then stayed for a week in Yekeba. During her third week in Liberia, the patient was in Voinjama where she was exposed to rodents. The patient spent the remaining weeks in Foya Kamara. She returned to Sweden on 2 March. Around 8 March, the patient developed symptoms (fever, chills, joint pain, headache and diarrhoea) and, on 17 March, was admitted to hospital. Medical investigations showed signs of encephalitis.
On 1 April, Lassa fever was laboratory confirmed at the Public Health Agency of Sweden by serology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. The patient gradually recovered during her hospitalization but her hearing deteriorated. To prevent secondary transmission, she was transported to a specialized treatment centre and placed in an isolation unit.
[h=3]Public health response[/h] Contact tracing among health care workers and family members has been completed. A total of 74 contacts are currently under observation. The follow-up period (21 days) for the last identified contact will be over on 22 April.
[h=3]WHO risk assessment[/h] Cases of Lassa fever have already been imported from West Africa to Europe. Data from recent imported cases in Western countries show that secondary transmission of Lassa is rare when standard infection control precautions are observed but might occur. Therefore, the risk for further transmission of Lassa fever in Sweden cannot be excluded but it is currently considered to be low. WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conduct risk assessments based on the latest available information.
[h=3]WHO advice[/h] Considering the seasonal flare ups of cases during this time of the year, countries in West Africa that are endemic for Lassa fever are encouraged to strengthen their related surveillance systems.
Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Lassa fever should apply extra infection control measures to prevent contact with the patient?s blood and body fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials such as clothing and bedding. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with Lassa fever, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and goggles), a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for some procedures).
Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from humans and animals for investigation of Lassa virus infection should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories under maximum biological containment conditions.
The diagnosis of Lassa fever should be considered in febrile patients returning from areas where Lassa fever is endemic. Health-care workers seeing a patient suspected to have Lassa fever should immediately contact local and national experts for advice and to arrange for laboratory testing.
WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restriction to Sweden nor Liberia based on the current information available.