Diseases & Prevention

Lassa Fever: 8 Simple Prevention Tips Every Nigerian Must Know

Simple Lassa fever prevention tips for any Nigerian
First, the chickens brought bird flu, the bats brought Ebola and now the rats have started giving out Lassa fever.
Lassa fever has been in the mouths of all Nigerians and health experts around the world.
Evey Nigerian has been searching for prevention tips for Lassa fever.
The rate at which the disease is spreading is growing steadily, but the good thing is that prevention is in our hands.
First of all what is Lassa fever? Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. Just like Ebola it is a zoonotic disease, which simply means you can contact it from animals.
Today I will be sharing you the 8 simple Lassa fever prevention tips every Nigerian must know.
A lot of prevention tips for Lassa fever has been circulating everywhere, they are all good themselves. But what makes my tips unique is that unlike others, they can easily relate to every Nigerian.
Please remember that they are general prevention tips for Lassa fever, but they are some that each and everyone of us should know as a Nigerian.
Do you want to know them? Let’s find out together.
1. Reduce your visits to restaurants
The Lassa fever virus can be spread by eating an infected food. And remember that it is also spread by rats, which are very common and highly populated.
As the situation worsens, the best thing you can do us to stop visiting restaurants and start cooking, some of this restaurants might often neglect some basic health requirements. It would be safer to cut down your visits to any eatery for as long as the virus remains.
2. Reduce your intake of garri
News spread recently, concerning Lassa fever. It said that drinking garri was likely to cause Lassa fever. Well, its true but not completely true. Garri is a cassava grain and it is very easily eaten by rats. Just drinking garri alone isn’t going to give you the virus. The best thing is try avoiding garri entirely till the virus is contained.
3. Throw away foods that have had contact with rodents
Nigerians don’t like wasting food items. We are always trying to be economical. If you find out that a rat or any other rodent has made any contact with your food, the wise thing you should do it to dispose the food item. Don’t try to cut out one part and say “it’s only this side it touched” your eye is not a microscope.
Things are hard, but health is wealth.
4. Store all your food items inside strong plastic or metal cans
They are some rats that very strong teeth. They can cut into anything. If you think you are safe by covering your food items with two nylon, think again, they are rats like Suarez. Don’t try to save money, get strong cans and store your foodstuffs.
5. Continue to wash your hands with hand sanitizer
After Ebola had gone most of us forgot about hand sanitizers. It is also important here to regularly wash your hands to avoid Lassa fever.
A person can be infected with Lassa fever for days without even knowing, it’s incubation period is six to twenty one days. So its very important that you wash your hands to regularly so you don’t get infected.
6. Maintain clean household and surrounding
Rats will be relaxed and comfortable wherever there is dirt and garbage. Rats love littered places where they can search for food to eat.
Which is why you should maintain a clean environment always. Dispose any garbage far away. Don’t keep any left over food laying around because it will attract them and gang.
7. Eat immune boosting foods

As you are also trying to prevent Lassa fever by avoiding all the susceptible foods and cleaning your environment, you should eat something healthy.
Eat good foods that will boost your immune system and help you combat any infection effectively.
Foods such as orange, ginger, garlic and almonds etc.
Also remember to cook your foods thoroughly.

8. Pray for God’s help
I included this point because Nigerians are very religious people.
The reality is that it is not every thing you can do, you don’t know who is carrying the infection and which food has been touched by a rodent. That us way you need God’s help in defeating Lassa fever.
Additional tip: Get a cat! Yes for every Jerry with Lassa fever, there is a Tom waiting to catch it.
Thank you so very much for reading. I hope you loved it. You should always remember to visit www.youmustgethealthy.com to read more amazing health articles.

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About the author

Collins Nwokolo

Collins Nwokolo is a passionate medical physiologist, health blogger and an amazing writer. He is a health and fitness enthusiast who loves sharing helpful information to people.

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