Those Rats in Your House Can Kill You and Your Family

In a flash, they dash across your living room from the kitchen area causing the children to jump and scream.

Soon you fetch a contraption or some concoctions and sprinkle under the sofa, and the crevices. The target: those rodents that have become familiar sights in the home, the unwelcome neighbors.

You aim to kill the rats so they parasite on the family food stock, wise wisdom especially in the days of economic reality.

But unknown to many, those rats do more harm than just eating small portions from the family ration. They are purveyors of death!

Medical experts warn that people ought to be wary of the rats as they spread Lassa virus, a highly fatal form of hemorrhagic fever, an acute viral disease.

It is characterized by high fever, sore throat, severe muscle aches, skin rashes with hemorrhages, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and untimely death!

First identified in Lassa town, Borno state, Nigeria, in 1969, the infection is epidemic in West African countries and causes 300-500,000 cases annually with about 5,000 deaths.

Lassa virus infects almost every tissue in the human body. It starts with the mucosa, intestine, lungs and urinary system, and then progresses to the vascular system.

Infection in humans typically occurs via exposure to animal excrements through the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.

Inhalation of tiny particles of infective material (aerosol) is believed to  be the most significant means of exposure. It is possible to acquire the infection through broken skin or mucous membranes that are directly exposed to infective materials.

Transmission from person to person has also been established, presenting a significant disease risk for healthcare workers (no fewer than 7 doctors have been reportedly died from this disease). The possibility of transmission via sexual contact has not been established.

At the moment, there is panic among medical personnel, as the death toll from the disease has reportedly risen to over 300.

This highly fatal disorder is said to kill 10 to 50 per cent of its victims, but those who survive its early stages usually recover and acquire immunity to secondary attacks.

Prevention

• Control of the Mastonrys rodent population is impractical. So measures are limited to keeping rodents out of homes and food supplies, as well as maintaining effective personal hygiene.

• Gloves, masks, laboratory coats, are advised while in contact with an infected person.

• Good personal hygiene and environmental cleanliness is very important in the prevention of this disease. Avoid crowded areas and sewage-infested neighborhood as much as possible.

So, when next a rat makes a dash in your living room, do not take anything for granted. It might just have urinated of defecated on the foodstuff that was inadvertently left open. That is the beginning of trouble as the virus has been established to reside in those body wastes.

Treatment

Ribavirin, an antiviral drug, has been used with success in Lassa fever patients.

Fluid replacement, blood transfusion and fighting hypotension are often required. Other medicines used include in-vitro colloids for shock, analgesics for pain, and antipyretics for fever.

Patients should also receive supportive care consisting of maintenance of appropriate fluid and electrolyte balance and oxygenation.