Immunoglobulin G Seroprevalence of Lassa Fever Virus Among Individuals Residing Along the Banks of River Niger in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background – Lassa fever (LF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus belonging to the Arenaviridae family. It is a zoonotic infection that is widespread in West Africa. Transmission occurs through exposure to rodent excreta and secretions and via the bodily fluids of an infected person. This study aimed to determine the Lassa fever-specific IgG seroprevalence among individuals who reside along the banks of River Niger in Anambra state, Nigeria. Materials and methods – Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. Informed consent was sought and a questionnaire was administered. For this study, 90 subjects were recruited from the Okpoko community of Ogbaru LGA of Anambra state, Nigeria. Blood samples were collected and analysed at the Molecular Research laboratory using the Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique to screen for LF-specific IgG. Results – LF-specific IgG was detected in 14 out of 90 Subjects, giving a prevalence rate of 15.6%. In addition, some risk factors were ascertained, and the relationship between LF IgG seroprevalence and age, gender, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were assessed though there were no significant relationships. Conclusion – A significant LF seroprevalence was revealed among the sampled population, which could pose a serious public health threat. Intervention strategies should be implemented to check possible LF outbreaks in the sampled area, and further epidemiologic studies should be done to determine the means of spread and risk factors of Lassa fever.