LASSA FEVER IN INTERNALLY-DISPLACED PERSONS' CAMP: A CASE REPORT AT ZABARMARI, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA.

Introdution: Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease caused by the Lassa virus, a single stranded RNA virus of the Arenavirus family. It is a zoonotic illness spread by rats of the speciesMastomys natalensis . Between weeks 1 and 17, (2017), 242 suspected Lassa fever cases were reported in Nigeria, with 58 laboratory confirmed cases and 46 fatalities (CFR, 19.01%) from 50 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 20 States. Methods: We conducted an outbreak investigation and gathered a thorough clinical history of the index case as well as contacts, who were then followed up using the standard viral hemorrhagic fever contact monitoring form. Following that, blood samples were collected from this patient. A total of 54 contacts were tracked for 21 days and their temperatures were recorded using a clinical thermometer. Furthermore, an environmental evaluation of the Zabarmari community and the Madinatu Internally-displaced persons' (IDP) camp was carried out. Results: The index case was a 32-year-old woman who was internallydisplaced in Zabarmari community. Her symptoms began with fever and vaginal bleeding and progressed to bleeding from the nose, mouth, and urethra. There was a history of rat exposure as well as inadequate environmental sanitation and hygiene. Real Time PCR detected Lassa fever in the blood sample. The Borno State Ministry of Environment, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, undertook public health education on Lassa fever prevention and implemented excellent sanitary measures. Conclusion: Increased awareness creation on good infection prevention and control practices is crucial among internally-displaced person and health care providers to prevent occurrence and spread of the disease.

Secondhand smoke exposure is independently associated with stroke among non-smoking adults in West Africa.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, but little is known about the contribution of secondhand smoke exposure (SHSE) to stroke epidemiology among indigenous Africans. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of SHSE with stroke among indigenous Africans. METHODS: We analyzed the relationship of SHSE with stroke among 2990 case-control pairs of adults who had never smoked (identified in the SIREN study) using conditional logistic regression at a two-sided P < 0.05. RESULTS: Multivariable-adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval; 1.25 (1.04, 1.50; P = 0.02) revealed SHSE was positively associated with stroke independent of stroke subtypes. CONCLUSION: Culturally relevant primary prevention strategies targeted at SHSE might be promising in preventing stroke among Africans.

Factors associated with hypertension among stroke-free indigenous Africans: Findings from the SIREN study.

Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for stroke and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) globally. Understanding risk factors for hypertension among individuals with matching characteristics with stroke patients may inform primordial/primary prevention of hypertension and stroke among them. This study identified the risk factors for hypertension among community-dwelling stroke-free population in Ghana and Nigeria. Data for 4267 community-dwelling stroke-free controls subjects in the Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network (SIREN) study in Nigeria and Ghana were used. Participants were comprehensively assessed for sociodemographic, lifestyle and metabolic factors using standard methods. Hypertension was defined as a previous diagnosis by a health professional or use of an anti-hypertensive drug or mean systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of hypertension and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) at p < .05. Overall, 56.7% of the participants were hypertensive with a higher proportion among respondents aged ≥60 years (53.0%). Factors including physical inactivity (aOR: 9.09; 95% CI: 4.03 to 20.53, p < .0001), diabetes (aOR: 2.70; CI: 1.91 to 3.82, p < .0001), being ≥60 years (aOR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.78 to 2.77, p < .0001), and family history of CVD (aOR 2.02; CI: 1.59 to 2.56, p < .0001) were associated with increased aOR of hypertension. Lifestyle factors were associated with hypertension in the current population of community-dwelling stroke-free controls in west Africa. Community-oriented interventions to address sedentary lifestyles may benefit this population and reduce/prevent hypertension and stroke among them.