Fever!

No, not the song. I just got done reading Fever! By John G. Fuller. It's a book about the identification of Lassa fever, which was initially recognized in an outbreak in Nigeria in 1969. Patient Zero was a nurse in Lassa, Nigeria and was transported for care to Jos, to the SIM hospital. Another outbreak occurred several years later and was also treated at the SIM hospital.

Lassa fever is caused by a virus of the family referred to as "hemorrhagic fever" viruses, which also includes Ebola, Marburg and many others. There is no vaccine. I have been fascinated for years, for some unknown reason, by hemorrhagic fevers. I read "The Hot Zone" at least 4 times during high school and college, and have continued to pursue books, fiction and nonfiction, based on viruses. If you've never read "Andromeda Strain," or "The Coming Plague," or I highly recommend both of them.

This is even more interesting to me given that we had a patient come through the hospital several weeks ago with Lassa. There are likely many more that do not get diagnosed as symptoms are vague and some people have asymptomatic infection. Scary. Sadly, I have not found a way to really mix my love of surgery with my obsession with viruses, since viruses generally don't have a surgical cure.

Yesterday we got to operate again with one small working autoclave. Once again I found that at Evangel "general surgery" really is that: very general. I started with a contracture release/skin graft, then removed the largest breast mass I have ever seen, then did my first external fixator on a fracture (orthopedics!), then finished the day with an exploratory lap and a diverting colostomy.

Thanks to all of you who are praying for me back home. Praise God that I have not gotten sick or injured and I continue to make great Nigerian friends! I will be sad to be leaving next Tuesday. Tomorrow is my last full operating day in Nigeria.

May your day be full of grace and free of viral infection.