Resources

A hospital epidemic of Lassa fever in Zorzor, Liberia

This resource describes the epidemic of Lassa fever at a missionary hospital in Zorzor, Liberia, and clinical features and diagnostics. It then goes on to examine both the index case and the subsequent search for further cases. 

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Lassa Virus Hemorrhagic Fever in Benin in 2014 in an Ebola Context: An Epidemic Revealing the Weakness of the Health System

This resource aims to understand the social conditions of the outbreak and evolution of the Lassa haemorrhagic fever epidemic in Benin, 2014, and the technical, political and institutional processes of its management by the state and international alert network and health response. It reports on the results of a qualitative survey conducted at several sites: at the Ministry of Health in Cotonou, in the health services (including the Saint-Jean de Dieu Hospital in Tanguiéta in the north of the country), and in the families of the geographical area of ​​the epidemic.

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Social consequences of Ebola containment measures in Liberia

This study of quarantine during the Ebola epidemic in Liberia also shows that state-enforced quarantine, with a mandatory prohibition of movement, raised condemnation, strengthened stigmatization and created serious socio-economic distress.

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Knowledge, attitude and practice of Lassa fever prevention by students of the University of Benin

This study assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice of prevention of Lassa fever, amongst students resident in the campuses of University of Benin. The knowledge of the majority 276 (91.7%) of the study population about Lassa fever disease was poor. Good preventive practices were reported by 28 (73.3%) of respondents and fair practices was reported by 10 (24.3%) of respondents with good knowledge.  It was found that preventive practices were significantly associated with level of study of students (p=0.033). Conclusion: Continued dissemination of accurate information on Lassa fever disease is indicated at all levels of study in the University system to improve preventive practices and reduce risk of Lassa fever disease amongst student population.

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Community-centered responses to Ebola in urban Liberia: The view from below

The article presents information on community-based epidemic control priorities and identifies innovative local strategies for containing EVD in Liberia. The text also offers some suggestions from participants like the integration of families in the surveillance system and the declaration of National Memorial Day among others.

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Hospital domestics: Care work in a Kenyan hospital

Though not about Lassa fever specifically, this paper explores the division of labour between medical staff and familial caregivers in Kenya.

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'Transport to where?': Reflections on the problem of value and time à propos an awkward practice in medical research

This resource examines the gap between the bioethics aversion to value transfers in clinical trials, and research participants' and researchers' expectations of these. It focuses upon so-called 'transport reimbursement' (TR): monetary payments to participants that are framed as mere refund of transport expenses, but which are of considerable value to recipients.

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Risk maps of Lassa fever in West Africa

With the aim of gaining more information to control this disease, this paper carries out a spatial analysis of Lassa fever data from human cases and infected rodent hosts covering the period 1965–2007. 

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