Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025274 (Poster 114) | Published: 05 Aug 2025
Hallir Adam Muhammad1,&, Ahmed Futa2, Yusuf Bara Jibrin3, Ibrahim Maigari3, Suleiman Alhaji1, Jamiu Ogirima Bello1
1Molecular Genetics and Infectious Diseases (MOGID) Research Laboratory ATBU⁄ATBUTH Bauchi, 2Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at London School of Hygiene ant Tropical Medicine, 3Department of Internal Medicine, ATBU Teaching Hospital, Bauchi
&Corresponding author: Hallir Adam Muhammad, Molecular Genetics and Infectious Diseases (MOGID) Research Laboratory ATBU⁄ATBUTH Bauchi, Email: makama860@gmail.com
Received: 01 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 05 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Lassa fever, Viral Load, RT-PCR, Clinical Outcome, ATBUTH Bauchi
©Hallir Adam Muhammad 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: Hallir Adam Muhammad et al Correlation of RT PCR CT Values with the Outcomes of Lassa Fever Patients in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(Conf Proc5):00258. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00258
Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease prevalent in West Africa, characterized by a broad range of clinical symptoms. The diagnostic gold standard remains Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), with the cycle threshold (CT) value offering an indirect assessment of viral load. Despite its utility, the relationshipbetween RT PCR CT values obtain from sub type lineage III and clinical outcomes has not been well studied. To determine the relationship between RT PCR CT values and clinical outcome among Lassa fever patients treated in Bauchi state, Nigeria.
A retrospective cohort analysis was carried out on patients with laboratory-confirmed Lassa fever admitted to ATBUTH between November 2024 to April 2025. Information on CT values at diagnosis and patient outcomes was collected. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS (version 27), chi-square test and Pearson’s correlation analysis were employed to explore the association between CT values and disease severity or clinical outcomes.
The study found that lower RT-PCR CT values, indicating higher viral load, were significantly associated with poorer outcomes among Lassa fever patients in Bauchi State. In particular, the L Gene showed a strong correlation with mortality (r = 0.204, p = 0.007). In contrast, the GPC Gene showed a weaker, non-significant relationship with outcomes (r= 0.138, p = 0.062). These findings suggests that CT values from the L gene may serve as a reliable prognostic marker for predicting patient outcomes and guiding clinical management.
CT values obtained through RT-PCR could serve as valuable prognostic markers in the management of Lassa fever. Recognizing patients with low CT values early may facilitate effective triage and timely intervention. Further prospective research is needed to confirm these results and inform clinical practice.
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