Lassa Fever prevalent in the east

Lassa fever, a potentially deadly disease, is now prevalent in eastern Sierra Leone, the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) reported its chief medical officer as saying on Monday. Colonel Surendram Singh told reporters the disease was thought to have affected only Segbwema, Tongo Fields and Panguma of Eastern Province but “we have realised that the whole of the Eastern Province is affected. “It is quite evident that there is a sudden upsurge of the incidence of this disease among the civilian population,” he added. Since January, he said, 373 reported cases of the disease had been treated at the Merlin-run Kenema Lassa Fever Treatment Centre. UNAMSIL troops are exposed to the danger of catching the disease and two Indian UN troops have already been infected. Singh said UNAMSIL had conducted an “effective campaign” on the early detection and surveillance of the affected contacts. “Medical officers from our UNAMSIL hospital have been placed there for another four weeks to further strengthen the prevention campaign,” he said.