Spatial Distribution and Knowledge of Lassa Fever Epidemic Among Patients Presented for Treatment in Owo Between 2018-2020

Abstract

Lassa fever outbreaks are known to occur during the dry season (November to April), however, in recent years, cases have also occurred during the rainy season. The study therefore examined the Spatio-temporal pattern and knowledge of Lassa fever epidemics in Owo, Ondo state, Nigeria, 2018-2020. This study adopted a combination of hospital case review and a cross-sectional survey research design. Population for the quantitative aspect was a hospital of 301 individuals addressed for the cluster analyses and 407 treated patients for the questionnaire survey in Owo LGA. A validated questionnaire and data extraction form was used to collect the quantitative data. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test was 0.881. Data was analyzed using Google-Earth Pro, SaTScan and SPSS 27.0 (inferential and descriptive). The result showed that Ehin-Ogbe Street, Aruwajoye street and Oke-Dogbon street as the highest cluster locations of cases of Lassa Fever in Owo LGA. There is a peak period of Lassa fever cases in the dry season, from November to February. 45.7% had an average level of knowledge of Lassa Fever. The most statistically significant cluster (p – 0.00048) in space and time occurred in April 2019. This was at the peri-urban area proximal to Ilale-Osijogun (Idasen) villages and environs. This occurred after an earlier significant outbreak precisely a year earlier in May 2018 at Iyere sub-urban area of Owo city. The largest outbreak subsequently occurred over a 5-month period (August-December 2020). This may be a combination of community transmission, after the two-initial human-animal (zoonotic) transmission phase of 2018-2019. The study recommends primary prevention of rodent-borne diseases can be achieved by avoiding contact with rodents. In improving human behavioural changes, health education strategies should encourage clearing up of bushes, heaps of firewood and rubble around homes as these serve as shelter for rodents. Government should provide adequate supply of PPE for both urban and rural health facilities to assure there are no shortages at the facilities