Experts from Nigeria and Germany combine forces against Lassa fever

Experts from Nigeria and Germany combine forces against Lassa fever

Insel Riems, Landkreis Vorpommern-Greifswald, Deutschland - A highly topical topic is now the focus of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (Fli) on the island of Riems: the prevention of zoonoses, especially the Lassa fever, which is widespread in Nigeria. This workshop, in which 24 experts from Germany and Nigeria take part, aims to develop an effective strategy to combat the Lassa fever. The methodology provides for a joint evaluation of data from the Nigerian state of Ebonyi.

Lassa fever belongs to a group of zoonoses that are transferred to humans by the animal and are increasingly becoming the focus of health research. ndr reports that the event is strengthening the cooperation between different institutions, including the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). A common goal is being used here: to develop scientific knowledge and practical measures for the affected communities in Nigeria.

The challenges of the Lassa fever

As is emphasized at the workshop, the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has increased dramatically since 2016, especially after a major outbreak in 2018. Investigations show that more than 5050 suspicions were reported in 2019, 833 of which were tested as positive. The emergency reaction in such situations is often hindered by weak coordination, as A study . A system for coordinating these missions, an incident management system (IMS), has proven to be essentially in order to be able to react quickly and effectively.

In Nigeria there is constant progress in coordinating the reaction to Lassa fever. The One Health approach, which promotes close cooperation between health and agricultural sectors, has played a major role. In 2019, this approach activated an emergency company center and numerous other reviews and strategies to limit the spread of the disease. Younger adults aged 21 to 40 were particularly affected, with almost half of the confirmed cases from the states of Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi.

vision for a long -term solution

Today's discussions also revolve around the need for a multidecectoral one health approach, which should not only be used during outbreaks, but also in everyday health monitoring. Interdisciplinary cooperation is becoming increasingly important. This agrees with the latest efforts to strengthen the One Health approach in health research in Germany. have signed a research agreement that is aimed at the link between animal health, To improve human health and environmental protection.