Responding to the Public Health Threat of Lassa Fever in West Africa

Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic condition, resulting because of exposure to the Lassa virus, which accounts for the disease outbreaks across West Africa.[۱] It is a zoonotic disease, with rodent (Mastomys natalensis) being the primary reservoir, which is present in the entire sub-Saharan Africa, whereas the virus is present exclusively in West Africa.[۱,۲] In fact, the disease is found to be endemic in seven nations of the region, and since the beginning of ۲۰۱۶, two outbreaks of the disease have been reported in Nigeria and Benin.[۱] In addition, there is a potential risk of transmission of the disease from the endemic regions to other nonendemic nations through travelers.[۲,۳]