Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025246 (Poster 060) | Published:  01 Aug 2025

Disease severity and outcome of Lassa virus disease among Nigerian children with sickle cell anaemia: An observational study

Sheila Mary Ojor Ileli1, Ofure Okosun1,2, Sylvester Osagie Dawodu1,2, Odianosen Sunday Otumu3,4, Ifeanyi Henry Onyerikam1,2, Chukwuemeka Ogbuinya Ugadu1,2, Imonifome Frank Onyeke1, Deborah Uanzekin1, Emmanuel Ovie Unaware1, Ehisuan Ehiaghe1, Matthew Apeleokha1, Nwamaka Odinakachi Ejidike1, Henrietta Elolen Ugbeni1,2, George Obozokhae Akpede1,2,&

1Department of Paediatrics, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria, 2Department of Paediatrics, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria, 3Department of Haematology, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo state, Nigeria, 4Department of Haematology, Ambrose Alli University, Edo state, Nigeria

&Corresponding author: George O. Akpede, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital/Ambrose Alli University, Edo State, Nigeria, Email: georgeakpede@yahoo.co.uk 

Received: 30 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Jun 2025, Published: 01 Aug 2025

Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology

This is part of the Proceedings of the ECOWAS 2nd Lassa fever International Conference in Abidjan, September 8 – 11, 2025

Keywords: Children, Disease severity, Lassa virus disease, OutcomesSickle cell anaemia

©Sheila Mary Ojor Ileli et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cite this article: Sheila Mary Ojor Ileli et al., Disease severity and outcome of Lassa virus disease among Nigerian children with Sickle Cell anaemia, an observational study. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00204. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00204

Introduction

The relationship between sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and Lassa virus diseases (LVD) has not been characterized though both are notable for disease heterogeneity. Given that SCA is the commonest chronic hematologic disorder in tropical Africa and LVD is prevalent in West Africa, we thought it important to raise awareness on the potential for SCA-LVD interaction. We report the severity and outcome of LVD in a cohort of 10 children with SCA.

Methods

We report the findings from a retrospective observational study of 10 children with SCA and LVD seen between 01/01/2022 and 12/05/2025 at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. 

Results

 

7 (70%) of the 10 children presented with indices of severe LVD (AKI stage III 4,  bleeding 4,  shock 6, and encephalopathy 6) and 8 (80%) with severe SCA (acute chest syndrome 3, thrombocytosis and leukocytosis 7). All 7 children with severe LVD also had at least one SCA severity criterion. Mean duration of symptom-onset to admission was 5.8 days (range 2-14 days). Case fatality rate was 5/10 (50%) in LVD/SCA and 10/237 (4.2%) among all the children admitted with LVD (OR (95% CI) = 23.7 (5.89, 95.31), p <0.001).

Conclusion

SCA is associated with increased severity and poor outcome of PLVDPending the conduct of larger, prospective studies to validate these findings, we recommend that children with LVD should be screened for SCA and that those with LVD/SCA should be considered for intensive care.

 
Views: 37