Lassa fever under control except in Jimmi Bagbo camp

The spread of Lassa fever in refugee camps in southern and eastern Sierra Leone has been brought under control except in Jimmi Bagbo camp, where severe cases continue to be registered, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

Lassa fever is an accute viral illness transmitted by rats that is common in West Africa. It can cause a variety of symptoms, including fever, chest pain, diarrhea, vomiting and loss of hearing. If untreated, it can result in death.

UNHCR said a campaign was under way to eradicate rats from Jimmi Bagbo in Bo district, which houses over 6,000 mainly Liberian refugees.

There are nine refugee camps in Sierra Leone housing over 50,000 people. Between February and April, more than 2,000 suspected cases of Lassa fever were recorded there.

UNHCR said the campaign to control Lassa fever in the refugee campswas agreed with several other relief agencies in March and was funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO).

The disease is transmitted by rodents that live in close proximity to man. Humans can be infected by inhaling tiny droplets of virus-laden rodent excreta, eating contaminated food or simply by absorption through the skin.

Even when patients have been treated, the virus remains in their bodies for six weeks. During this time it can be transmitted through unprotected sex and sharing food and sanitation facilities, especially in crowded environments like refugee camps.