Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC202584 (Oral 075) | Published: 18 Aug 2025
Chizaram Anselm Onyeaghala1,&, Azuka Patrick Okwuraiwe2, Obiageli Theresa Ozoude3, Muritala Odidi Suleiman4, Folahanmi Tomiwa Akinsolu5,6, Olajide Odunayo Sobande5
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, 2 Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, PMB 101212, Lagos, Nigeria, 3Department of Microbiology, Veritas University, Bwari Area Council, FCT-Abuja, Nigeria, 4Department of Human Anatomy, Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria, 5Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Foundation, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria, 6Clinical Sciences Department, Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria
&Corresponding author: Chizaram Anselm Onyeaghala, Department of Internal Medicine University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Port Harcourt Nigeria, Email: onyeaghalaac@gmail.com
Received: 31 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Ju 2025, Published: 18 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Lassa fever, West Africa, Mortality rate, Abnormal bleeding, Acute kidney injury, CNS manifestation
©Chizaram Anselm Onyeaghala 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: Chizaram Anselm Onyeaghala et al., Clinical outcomes of severe Lassa fever in West Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00075. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00075
Lassa fever (LF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever that poses a substantial public health security threat in West Africa. The non-specific clinical presentation of LF, coupled with a lack of reliable point-of-care diagnostics, means delayed diagnosis, leading to severe complications and mortality during epidemics. This systematic review aimed to determine the clinical outcomes of severe LF in West Africa.
We included 19 studies that reported data from 4177 patients hospitalized with LF of any age. Most of the studies used retrospective cohort designs (16/19; 84.2%), with the majority conducted in Nigeria (15/19; 78.9%). The highest mortality rate was observed in a Sierra Leonean study (63.0%), while a group-based analysis of Nigerian studies using a random effects model identified Owo as having the highest mortality rate at 13% (95% CI: 06- 23; I2=98 %). The pooled mortality rate for severe LF was 19% (95% CI:10- 32). The most common complications of LF were acute kidney injury (AKI) at a pooled proportion of 19% (95% CI: 13- 26; I2=89%), followed by abnormal bleeding at 17% (95% CI: 9- 30; I2=98%), and CNS manifestations at 15% (95% CI: 6- 32; I2=98%).
With one out of every five hospitalized LF patients likely to die in West Africa, accelerating the development of rapid diagnostic tests, licensed vaccines, and novel therapeutics is crucial. Strengthening community engagement, risk communication, developing regional treatment guidelines, and decentralizing LF care units will enhance case management, reduce mortality, and minimize complications.
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