Tag: Lassa Fever
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Lassa fever: Another 3 test positive as Lagos urges residents to remain calm
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday urged residents not to panic over the outbreak of Lassa fever which has already claimed two lives.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that two persons infected with the disease have died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba on Monday.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that a resident doctor who participated in the autopsy on the cases also got infected.
On Wednesday, three of the 100 people being traced in connection with the treatment of the cases were declared positive after tests.
The three, like the doctor, are being treated at the hospital’s isolation ward.
However, in a statement, Lagos State Government emphasized that it was collaborating with the Federal Government to control the spread of the diseases.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, who issued the statement, added that the Ministry of Health, in line with international standards, ”is currently carrying out ‘contact tracing’ to determine those who may have been infected. Isolation centres have been prepared to manage suspected and confirmed cases while drugs and other materials have also been prepositioned at designated facilities.”
The Special Adviser confirming five cases of the disease, said two deaths had been recorded, noting that the remaining three patients were responding to treatment in designated isolation centres.
The first case of the disease; a 32-year-old woman with bleeding complications of pregnancy, died at LUTH on July 25 and had a post-mortem examination performed on July 27 with the result of viral studies coming out positive for Lassa fever on July 29.
“The second case, a known sickle cell disease patient, died on the 5th of August, also at LUTH. He was said to have travelled to one of the neighboring states before coming down with the disease. The two cases have since been buried in line with prescribed international standards,” Onanuga said.
The Special Adviser added that three health workers who developed symptoms had tested positive and on admission receiving treatment in an isolation ward in LUTH.
Onanuga said the laboratory tests on two other suspected cases at Mainland Hospital referred from General Hospital, Lagos and a private hospital in Imota were negative.
He stressed the need for residents to maintain personal and environmental hygiene at all times as part of the precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease.
Onanuga advised the public to avoid contact with rats, to always cover their food and water properly, cook food thoroughly and block all hideouts and holes through which rats can enter the house.
LUTH’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Chris Bode said: “Out of the 100 people on contact tracing, three persons who developed symptoms tested positive and have been on admission and receiving treatment in the isolation Ward in the hospital.”
Bode said there were no emergency cases of Lassa fever at LUTH but each of the two cases that were reported in the hospital were diagnosed and managed in other facilities before they were referred to LUTH.
He said the infected were being cared for by a corps of professional and volunteer doctors, nurses, pharmacists. microbiologists, epidemiologists, emotional care givers, cleaners and others round the clock.
Bode said: “There is no panic; the Lassa fever disease is being contained and all the stakeholders are working hard to make sure that it doesn’t spread.
“However, we should all be involved collectively and individually to stop further spread of this disease.
“I urge us to prevent our food items from being contaminated by rats and rat droppings and urine.
“Do not spread your food outside in the open; put food items in rat proof containers so that rats will not get access to the food.’’.
The chief medical director also said that personal and environment hygiene were critical measures against Lassa fever.
”The disease is being contained and efforts are ongoing to locate the sources of these occurrences and to effectively monitor those who have been exposed to any of these cases,’’ he said.
The President of ARD, LUTH, Dr Adebayo Sekunmade, said that the management of the hospital was managing the situation.
“Some resident doctors volunteered to treat those 100 people under surveillance but we want the management to handle the situation more carefully.”
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JUST IN: 2 killed as Lassa fever hits Lagos
…100 LUTH staff placed under surveillance
Two patients undergoing treatments at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) have been declared dead following their contact with the dreaded Lassa fever disease.
The hospital management confirmed the development to TheSun Newspapers on Tuesday.
LUTH said about 100 workers are being monitored.
Last month, one pupil of the Federal Government College, Langtang, Plateau State, died of Lassa fever, while two others were hospitalised.
Details later…
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Ebola, Lassa Fever: Don’t drop your guards yet, NMA warns FG, Nigerians
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has alerted Nigerians on the need to be alert on the outbreak of the Lassa fever and Ebola viruses by not dropping the preventive measures as highlighted in 2013 when the epidemic broke out.
This was revealed in an interview on Monday by Dr. Tunde Olawepo, the Chairman of the Association in Kwara.
He noted that the government and people have relaxed measures that were initiated to contain the spread of Ebola at its outbreak in 2013.
According to him, surveillance of travellers entering the country has stopped just as people had relaxed with personal hygiene like regular washing of hands and use of sanitisers.
“People have stopped using hand sanitisers and frequent hand washing as before.
“We need to step up with preventive measures and this means people must keep up with hygiene at all times,” he said.
The physician warned that if these measures were not sustained these contagious diseases could resurface.
The NMA chairman also advocated for a psychological examination of people aspiring to hold sensitive positions in the government.
He explained that psychopaths abound in society who appeared to be many normal but need psychological examination to confirm the true state of health.
“Predicting signs of abnormality in people assigned with taking decisions that affect the country is a duty of the government,” he said.
Olawepo also urged Nigerians to be whistle-blowers against those who abuse hard drugs before driving as to promote a healthy society.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that some states in the nation recently witnessed an upsurge in the spread of the virus with several deaths already recorded.
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Lassa Fever: One dead, 65 on surveillance in Anambra
The Anambra Government on Monday confirmed that a nursing student was killed by Lassa Fever, while 65 others were being monitored.
The Director of Public Health, State Ministry of Health, Dr Emmanuel Okafor, told newsmen in Awka that the deceased (name withheld) was a student in one private nursing school in Nkpor, Idemili North.
Okafor said that the lady was admitted at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, on June 11.
According to him, she was immediately transferred to the General Hospital, Irua, in Edo for diagnosis where she died on June 17.
“She was initially admitted at Amaku in Awka before she was transferred to Irua and was placed on admission there.
“She was bleeding from the gums, nostril and vagina and was confirmed Lassa Fever victim in Irua.
“The moment it was confirmed that she had Lassa fever, we started contacts tracing.
“As of now, we have about 65 we are following up, two of them have developed fever and their samples have been taken to Irua.
“We are still tracking others and we have advised them on what to do to ensure they do not transfer it to their loved ones,” he said.
Okafor urged residents to keep their surroundings clean and keep their foods free from rats.
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Lassa fever: Nassarawa confirms death of 8 people
The Nasarawa State Government has said that no fewer than eight people have so far died following the recent outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.
Dr Ibrahim Adamu, the Director of Public Health in the state’s Ministry of Health, made this disclosure to the newsmen on Tuesday in Lafia.
Adamu said: “Of the 11 confirmed cases recorded since the index case in November 2016, eight have died while three others are responding to treatment at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia.
“The three survivors in DASH are recovering very fast, two of them will be completing their treatment today – Tuesday to be discharged while the other will complete his treatment by the weekend’’.
Adamu also said that the number of people, who had contact with the patients and were being monitored, had risen to 82 from 66.
“All those identified contacts now under surveillance, have been placed on oral drugs and we monitor their temperature twice daily,’’ he added.
He said the State Government had shown commitment towards fighting the outbreak by providing the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and drugs for the treatment of the disease.
According to him, the insinuation that health personnel are complaining of not having access to PPE is not true as the State Government has provided adequate PPEs to the hospitals.
He explained that the PPE was meant to be given only to the health personnel giving service to the affected patients.
“There is a lot of anxiety for the disease, which makes everybody in any hospital where there is a confirmed case to want to wear the PPE.
“However, there is also a clear method of the transmission of the disease that people should be aware of and when the need to wear the PPE arises,’’ he said.
Adamu said that in order to allay the fear on the spread of the disease at the hospital, some wards at DASH had been designated as isolation centres for the Lassa fever patients.
He added that the State Government had also approved the creation of a disease isolation centre along Shinge road in Lafia.
Adamu said that fund was appropriated for the project in the 2017 budget and it had been defended by the ministry before the State House of Assembly.
NAN
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Lassa fever: LASG earmarks 465 markets for monthly ‘deratisation’
As an effective way of protecting its citizens against the dreaded Lassa fever, the Lagos State Vector Control Programme is planning to recruit more graduates of the state’s College of Health Technology (LASCOHET), Yaba, to help eliminate the spread of the Lassa virus by killing rats from 465 markets in the state.
This was disclosed to newsmen by the programme coordinator, Oluwasegun Benson on Thursday.
The state government established the programme to eliminate Lassa Fever virus transmitted to humans by killing rats especially in markets and public places in what is called ‘deratting’.
The coordinator spoke shortly after inspecting markets in Ijeh Barracks and Obalande in Eti-Osa Local Government and seven others in Ijora, Apapa Local Government.
Benson said that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State had given his approval for automatic employment of 233 graduates of the college from 2012/2013 academic session with effect from July 2, 2016.
He said the team’s planned employment of more graduates of LASCOHET would further enhance curbing the spread of Lassa fever in the state by ridding it of rats.
LASCOHET, formerly known as the School of Hygiene, was established by Dr Oladipo Oluwole, the first Nigerian Medical Officer of Health, in 1920.
Benson explained that under the programme, his members would cover over 465 markets, beginning from next month.
“The ‘deratisation’ of the markets will be done every month. We will visit all the markets in each local government in the state once a month.
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Rivers state confirms Lassa fever case
The Rivers ministry of health has confirmed a case of Lassa fever in a private health facility in the state.
The commissioner for health, Dr. Theophilus Odagme, disclosed to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday that the patient had been managed, fully recovered and discharged.
He said the ministry was collaborating with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the private hospital and family of patient to ensure that the process of decontamination and contact are effectively carried out.
“Right now, we pray it does not pose further threat to the state.
“Indeed, we had a patient in a private hospital in the state. The patient was diagnosed and expertly managed and has been discharged.
“The primary and secondary contacts are being followed and the other processes of decontamination are all on,” he said.
According to Odagme, the patient did not die while the ministry is doing necessary follow-up
“We are following up with all the contacts. We are also ready if there are eventualities with the contacts, we will move them to the special center in Emohua local government,” he said.
The commissioner advised residents of the state not to panic because the government was on top of the situation.
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Federal Medical Center, Keffi, confirms suspected case of Lassa fever
Dr. Giyan Joshua-Ndom, the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa state, has confirmed that a patient at the center was suffering from a disease suspected to be Lassa fever.
Joshua-Ndom disclosed this on Friday that the center had reported the matter to the Ministry of Health as well as the Centre for Diseases Control, Abuja.
“It is true that a suspected case of Lassa fever had been discovered at the center with a male patient being its victim.
“But, I want to use this medium to appeal to patients and members of the public to remain calm as necessary steps had been taken to avert the spread of the virus.
“The patient with the suspected case of Lassa fever had been separated from other patients and we are on top of the situation to curtail the spread of the disease,” he said
The medical director reaffirmed the commitment of the center to continue with projects that had direct bearing on the lives of doctors, other staff, and Nigerians at large.
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FG alerts Nigerians of the resurgence of Lassa fever in Nigeria
The Federal Government has alerted Nigerians, medical personnel and other stakeholders of the resurgence of Lassa fever in Nigeria.
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, in a circular signed on his behalf by the Director, Hospital Services, in the ministry, Dr. Wadapa Balami, advised medical personnel across board especially those domiciled in federal hospitals to ensure safety measures are urgently effected to check the spread of the deadly virus.
Recall that TheNewsGuru.com had earlier reported the resurgence of the fever in Ogun State with one person confirmed dead.
The circular reads in part: “I am directed to inform you that there has been a report of resurgence of Lassa fever in the country with one death recorded in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Consequently, you are requested to activate your surveillance systems, maintain universal precaution and embark on community mobilization, to ensure that this resurgence does not escalate to epidemic proportions”.
The minister mandated the personnel to treat the resurgence with utmost importance.
See copy of circular below:
