Public health response to two imported, epidemiologically related cases of Lassa fever in the Netherlands (ex Sierra Leone), November 2019
Femke W. Overbosch, Mark de Boer, Karin Ellen Veldkamp, Pauline M. Ellerbroek, Chantal P. Bleeker‐Rovers, Bram Goorhuis, Michèle van Vugt, Annemiek van der Eijk, Tjalling Leenstra, Martin Khargi, Jeanette Ros, Diederik Brandwagt, Manon Haverkate, Corien Swaan, Chantal Reusken, Aura Timen, Marion Koopmans, Jaap van Dissel, Lassa fever response team of The Netherlands
Abstract
On 20 November 2019, Lassa fever was diagnosed in a physician repatriated from Sierra Leone to the Netherlands. A second physician with suspected Lassa fever, repatriated a few days later from the same healthcare facility, was confirmed infected with Lassa virus on 21 November. Comprehensive contact monitoring involving high- and low-risk contacts proved to be feasible and follow-up of the contacts did not reveal any case of secondary transmission in the Netherlands.