Resources

Acute sensorineural deafness in Lassa fever

This resource describes a prospective audiometric evaluation of 69 hospitalized febrile patients in Sierra Leone, West Africa, that revealed a sensorineural hearing deficit (SNHD) in 14 (29%) of 49 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and in 0 of 20 febrile controls. This study found that lassa fever is associated with an incidence of SNHD, which considerably exceeds that previously reported with any other postnatally acquired infection.

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Therapy management: Concept, reality, process

This resource described the two concepts of "therapy management" (diagnosis, selection, and evaluation of treatment, as well as support of the sufferer) and "therapy management group" (the set of individuals who take charge of therapy management with or on behalf of the sufferer) as developed in medical anthropology research in Central Africa. It explores their historical development, current use by researchers, and potential future uses in contextually sensitive analyses. 

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Lassa fever–induced sensorineural hearing loss: A neglected public health and social burden

This resource summarises clinical findings of hearing loss in Lassa fever (LF) patients highlighting the association between Lassa virus infection and sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), as well as the potential mechanism(s) for LF-induced SNHL. The study highlights that further research is necessary to identify the mechanism and the epidemiology of LF-induced SNHL.

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Sensorineural hearing loss in Lassa fever: Two case reports

This resource reports on two female patients aged 19 and 43 years old with clinical features suggestive of Lassa fever and confirmed by immunoserological/Lassa-virus-specific reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Both patients developed severe sensorineural hearing loss at acute phases of the infections.

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Healthcare providers on the frontlines: A qualitative investigation of the social and emotional impact of delivering health services during Sierra Leone’s Ebola epidemic

This paper describes the stigma experienced by health care workers during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, and recommends psychological support mechanisms for medical staff working in epidemic contexts.

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Dealing with the unseen: Ffear and stigma in Lassa fever

This poster reports on research carried out with patients and caregivers at Irrua hospital.  It shows how many patients feared telling their family members that they were infected with Lassa Fever, and some were rejected by their family who refused to care for them.

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Stigma and the ethics of public health: Not can we but should we

This article examines the burdens which stigmatization can place on those who are already at a social disadvantage more generally across different public health interventions, and the ways in which stigmatization impacts on the human right to dignity and poses a potential threat to public health work.

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Lassa fever: Epidemiology, clinical features, and social consequences

This resource describes the epidemiology of Lassa fever and its vector, as well as the clinical course and management of the disease. It then reports on current treatment efforts, surveillance and disease control before presenting community perspectives through a knowledge, attitude and practice survey and a qualitative study.  

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