Ghana confirms 14 Lassa fever cases, including one death

Accra, Ghana | Xinhua | Ghana confirmed 12 new cases of Lassa fever after Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 14, said a release issued by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Wednesday.

The GHS said the 12 new cases were close contacts of the two cases confirmed earlier and identified through contact tracing.

Ghana first reported two confirmed cases of Lassa fever Sunday, indicating that one of the infected persons had died of the disease, leaving the number of confirmed active cases at 13.

“All 13 cases are alive and in stable condition and are being managed in designated health facilities. A total of 97 contacts have been identified, and efforts are underway to identify more contacts,” the release added.

Lassa fever is caused by the Lassa virus, transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent excreta.