Lassa fever can be sexually transmitted – Dr Asiedu-Bekoe

The Director of Public Health, Ghana Health Service, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe has said Lassa fever can be sexually transmitted.

He made the revelation on Prime Insight on Joy Prime Television on Thursday, March 2 monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

According to Dr Asiedu Bekoe, there is a documented evidence of places where the disease have been contracted through sexual intercourse and adviced caution, especially, for persons who feels unwell.

“There is some element of documentation that some places have reported Lassa through sexual intercourse so there is that element of risk because is also an exchange of intimacy but normally when you are sick, you need to think about yourself, you need not to have sex around that time”.

“….there is a risk and you can also get Lassa from sexual intercourse, so it is documented though it is on a lower side,” Dr Asiedu Bekoe said.

He also indicated the disease is no respecter of age and gender.

He made the comment while reacting to the report of 13 cases of Lassa fever announced by the Ghana Health Service.

Ghana confirms 14 cases of Lassa fever, one death recorded

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) on February 28 announced 12 more cases of Lassa fever in the country following an initial two reported on February 26.

The report bring to a total, 14 cases of the acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses.

A statement from the service sighted by GhanaPlus.com, said the 12, were detected through contact tracing and testing.

One person has sadly been reported dead from the Lassa fever.

Lassa fever is an animal-borne, or zoonotic, acute viral illness spread by the common African rat.

The illness is said to be very common in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.

Spread through urine and fecal droplet of rodent such us mice, rat etc., the illness was first documented in 1969 in Nigeria’s town of Lassa, in Borno State and subsequently named after same.

Symptoms includes general weakness, malaise, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow.

In severe cases, “hemorrhaging or bleed in gums, eyes, or nose, respiratory distress, repeated vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen, and shock may occur.

Lassa fever an also cause permanent deafness and death.

However, about 80 percent of cases are asymptomatic and are undiagnosed.

Source: GhanaPlus.com