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Tag: Lassa Fever

  • Edo records 521 suspected cases of Lassa fever

    Dr Osamuwonyi Irowa, the Director of Disease Control, Edo, says the state has recorded 521 suspected cases of Lassa fever this month.

    Irowa disclosed this at the inauguration of the Emergency Operation Centre on Lassa fever in Benin on Wednesday.

    He said 124 cases have been confirmed out of the 521 suspected cases recorded in 13 local government areas of the state.

    The director also said 15 deaths were recorded with 509 cases under surveillance, while 10 suspected cases had developed symptoms.

    Inaugurating the centre, the Deputy Gov. of the state, Mr Phillip Shaibu, said that the Lassa fever response mechanism was aimed at ensuring a coordinated control of the epidemic.

    He charged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to encourage volunteers to support their staff for effective control of the disease.

    He assured that the state government was working towards building isolation centres to decongest the patient population at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.

     

  • Patient who died of Lassa fever not from Osun – Govt

    The Osun Government on Saturday dispelled speculations of outbreak of lassa fever in the state.

    Mr Sola Fasure, media aide to Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, said in a statement issued in Osogbo that a patient who died at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife,as a result of the fever, was not from the state.

    “A patient from Ore, in Ondo State, with symptoms of lassa fever, went to Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Ile-Ife, for treatment, and was immediately transferred to OAUTH, where he regrettably died due to the advanced nature of the sickness.

    ” We must note however that the victim was not a native of Osun, and did not contact lassa fever in the state”, he said.

    Fasure said the clarification became necessary to put a stop to speculations in the social media that ‘Lassa Fever had claimed two lives in the state’.

    He urged people of the state, not to panic, assuring that the state government had put in place,
    surveillance teams in all the local government areas to monitor and check the outbreak of the disease.

    He also urged resident of the state to be watchful of visitors who might be exhibiting symptom of the vital disease, advising that such persons should be reported to the nearest health centre in the state.

    “Residents are required to be vigilant, maintain the highest hygiene standard possible, avoid contact with those infected and report illnesses and deaths emanating from the disease to hospitals and government health centres.

    Lassa fever is an acute viral infection which is transmitted from the faeces and urine of rats when in contact with food and the food is eaten.

    This disease is associated with bleeding and can affect any age group.

  • Lassa fever: Nigeria records 77 victims, 21 deaths

    The National Coordinator, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, says 21 deaths have been recorded from the 77 confirmed cases in the current outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria.

    Ihekweazu disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the National Executive Council meeting of the National Association of Resident Doctors in Abuja on Tuesday.

    He said that of the 77 confirmed cases, 10 affected health workers.

    The national coordinator quoted Dr Sylvanus Okogbeni, Chief Medical Director, Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo, as confirming that two of the health workers affected were discharged on Monday.

    He described the situation as sober, adding that it had resulted in serious emotional trauma, fear, anxiety and sometimes anger among stakeholders.

    Ihekweazu said it was high time stakeholders came together and addressed the challenges of hemorrhagic fevers, including Lassa fever.

    The national coordinator said NCDC has distributed more Ribavirin drugs used in the treatment of the disease to the affected states than it had ever done in the past.

    He said that government alone might not be able to supply the needed drugs to all the affected persons in the country.

    Ihekweazu said the centre had produced guidelines for the prevention and control of hemorrhagic fevers, adding that the NARD members should work with their hospitals’ chief medical directors to address outbreaks.

    In his remarks, the President, Nigeria Medical Association, Prof Mike Ogrima, urged doctors in the country not to attend to patients if they did not have protective gears.

    “You have to get some level of immunity or protection before you provide services to such patients,’’ he said.

    Lassa fever is a viral infection caused by the Lassa fever virus and the disease occurs all year round but more cases are recorded during the dry season.

    It is spread through direct contact with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats, eating food or drinking contaminated water.

    The disease can be prevented through enhance personal hygiene, avoidance of all contact with rats (dead or alive) and keeping the house and surrounding clean always.

  • Only careless doctors contact lass fever while treating patients – Health Minister

    Only careless doctors contact lass fever while treating patients – Health Minister

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has said the refusal of medical doctors to take necessary precaution while treating patients infected with lassa fever is responsible for the spread of the deadly disease among the doctors themselves.

    The Minister, who stated this in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on Saturday when he paid a courtesy call on Governor David Umahi, described the recent outbreak in the state, which killed four health workers, as unfortunate.

    According to the Minister, most doctors treat the deadly disease as if it “is any other ordinary disease” and thus fail to wear protective medical apparels while treating patients.

    “What is worrisome is that when doctors and healthcare workers become infected then the country is in danger because every person that will go and meet that doctor or nurse is at risk.

    ”I want to say that up till today no health care worker has contacted Lassa at Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo state because if you take precaution, wear gloves before you take blood, wear gloves before you operate, you can’t catch Lassa fever.

    “Lassa fever requires close contact between the blood of an infected person and healthcare workers looking after him. Once you wear gloves, wear protective gown, you can’t have Lassa fever. But what we have discovered is that doctors and nurses treat Lassa as if it is just ordinary flu or malaria, but it is not,” the minister said.

    He blamed the delay to fully equip the Virology Centre Abakaliki, which was built and handed over to the federal government, on outbreak of other deadly diseases across the country.

    “It quite unfortunate that you handed the centre over to us but because of a few other things we could not respond immediately with the operationalisation of the lab”.

    “As we moved to operationalise the lab we had other challenges, we had monkey pox, we had meningitis and it appeared as if in trying to prioritise we thought lassa has calmed down a bit, we decided to quickly address these diseases and also the yellow fever outbreak”, he added.

    Responding, Mr.Umahi, represented by his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, said 16 cases have been recorded in the state.

    “Nine cases have been confirmed, six are suspected cases, one is a probable index case. Eight of them are at the Virology Centre Abakaliki while one is in Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo state.”

    He noted that three of the confirmed cases have been successfully treated and discharged.

     

  • Lassa fever: Nigeria records 67 cases, 16 deaths in January – NCDC

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said so far, in January 2018 alone, Nigeria has recorded 16 deaths from 61 confirmed cases of Lassa fever across the country.

    The NCDC in a press statement released on Wednesday said a total number of 107 suspected cases has been recorded in ten states across the country.

    The states are Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Imo and Lagos.

    According to the health agency, as at January 21, ten out of the 61 confirmed cases were health care workers from four states Ebonyi- 7 , Nasarawa -1 , Kogi- 1 and Benue -1 out of which four are now deceased.

    Health workers are most times secondary victims who get infected while treating patients with the disease.

    Between 2005 and 2018, the infection claimed over 40 health workers in Ebonyi according to the state chapter of the Nigerian medical Association, NMA.

    The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, on Tuesday warned all health professionals to investigate every case of fever before treatment.

    Mr. Adewole said every fever must be investigated properly and treated appropriately. He said no one should treat malaria without diagnosis.

    The Executive Director, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu also advised health workers along same line urging them to practice standard precautions at all times.

    He said health workers should maintain a high index of suspicion while treating patients with aliments which presents malaria symptoms because Lassa fever appears initially like any other disease, causing a febrile illness such as malaria.

    Mr. Ihekweazu said Rapid Diagnostic Test, RDT must be applied to all suspected cases of malaria.

    “When the RDT is negative, other causes of febrile illness including Lassa fever should be considered. Accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment increase the chances of survival,” he said.

    Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness, transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents.

    Person-to-person transmission can also occur, particularly in hospital environment in the absence of adequate infection control measures.

    Lassa fever can be prevented through practicing good personal hygiene and proper environmental sanitation.

    Effective measures include storing grain and other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers, disposing of garbage far from the home, maintaining clean households, and other measures to discourage rodents from entering homes.

    Hand washing should also be practiced frequently.

     

  • Lassa Fever: Okorocha warns against consumption of ‘raw garri’ as death toll rises

    Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on Wednesday warned residents against consumption of ‘raw garri’ (cassava flakes) as three persons were confirmed dead in the state as a result of Lassa fever.

    The killer disease is rapidly spreading across many parts of the country.

    Seven cases of Lassa fever patients were also confirmed in the state.

    “This is not the period for people to drink raw garri because you know garri is not cooked and people just pour water on garri and drink and when rat has urinated on the garri. So people are advised as much as possible to ensure that their food is properly cooked,” the governor said.

    He said the cases were recorded in some hospitals, “somewhere in Orlu and some other parts of the State.”

    The first Lassa fever case this year was confirmed in Ebonyi state more than a week ago.

    Four people including three health workers died from the infection in the state.

    The disease have further spread to Kogi, Ondo and some other parts of the contry leaving death tolls.

    According to Mr. Okorocha, the speed at which the disease is spreading is worrisome.

    “This morning we woke up to hear that Lassa fever has killed three persons and we also have seven cases of Lassa fever patients and this number is too large for a State. And we are concerned about the speed of spread.

    “These cases were recorded in some hospitals, somewhere in Orlu and some other parts of the State. For this reason, we kindly advise that people should avoid over crowded areas, lessen the shaking of hands, and body contacts at this period,” the governor said.

    “The State is on it. The Ministry of Health has been adequately informed to take all necessary steps to curtail the spread.

    “We will do everything humanly possible to make sure that this spread is curtailed. While government is taking this action, people should keep a clean and healthy environment at this time, avoid so many children staying in one place while government should handle the burial of those that died of Lassa fever. As you know, Lassa fever is deadly but if any discovery is made, lives can be saved,” he added.

    Mr. Okorocha said all the confirmed cases have been put in isolation.

    “All the identified cases especially in Orlu, have been isolated and we have told the doctors not to take any more patients and even those in the hospital would be quarantined until such a time we have confirmed they are now positive in any form or shape.”

     

  • Lassa Fever kills medical doctor in Kogi

    Nigeria Medical Association, NMA in Kogi State on Monday announced the death of Dr Victor Idowu who was diagnosed with Lassa fever.

    Idowu was diagnosed of Lassa fever on January 19, 2018, after he contracted the virus in the line of duty at Irrua specialist hospital Edo state.

    Until his death, he was a house officer at the Federal Medical Center in Lokoja, Kogi state.

    Lassa Fever on Friday, January 19, resurfaced in Nasarawa state, killing one person out of the 15 suspected cases receiving attention at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi.

    Schools in Ebonyi State were also directed to close for a week following the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.

  • Lassa Fever: Death toll rises to four in Ebonyi

    The death toll of victims of the Lassa fever outbreak in Ebonyi State has risen to four, an official has said.

    The Commissioner for Health, Daniel Umezuruike, also said 139 persons have been placed under surveillance in the state.

    Also schools have been shut down in the state as government scrambles to curtail the rampaging deadly disease.

    Addressing journalists in Abakaliki, Mr. Umezuruike revealed that a total of nine cases have been confirmed.

    “At present, the state has a total of nine confirmed cases, four deaths and three others on treatment including 139 persons now under surveillance.

    “Also, a mother has been confirmed positive and is presently taking treatment and this incident happened yesterday (Wednesday).”‎

    “We have three patients on treatments and all of them are doing well and we have contact tracing and we have 139 people we have kept on surveillance

    Mr. Umezuruike however assured that the state government was handling the situation well.

    “We have set up all the committees and strategies to ensure that this disease is brought under control within the shortest possible time and the strategies are working out well. We don’t have new cases of the disease as at yesterday, so the situation has been brought under control.

    “Schools closure came up when we had three positive cases and ministry of education noticed that one of them has children in schools and closed down schools in Ebonyi State. We have put all the strategies and everything is working out, we believe that the situation will be brought under control.”

    Meanwhile, the outbreak has also forced the wife of the governor, Rachel Umahi, to cancel her visit to Afikpo Local Government Area which was scheduled to take place on Friday.

  • Lassa fever kills two doctors in Ebonyi

    Two resident doctors have died as a result of Lassa fever in Ebonyi state. Ariom Anthony Ifeanyi, secretary, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ebonyi chapter, confirmed the development yesterday.

    “It’s a sad day for NMA Ebonyi state as we lose two of our members same day to Lassa fever,” he said in a statement.

    “Dr Ali Felix has just been laid to rest when we were struck by another bad news. Dr Udor Abel, of ENT department, FETHA has just died following symptoms suspected to be Lassa fever too.”

    “As we pray for happy repose of these our fallen heroes, let’s pray for the recovery of other critical members and the safety of the entire NMA Ebonyi members.”

  • We are tracking outbreak of Lassa Fever, Cholera, two other chronic diseases in Nigeria – FG

    …as Cholera claims 51 lives

    The Federal Government is tracking four major diseases out breaks in Nigeria, Health Minister, Isaac Adewole, has disclosed.

    Adewole disclosed this in the weekly report of the state of the nation’s public health which he submitted to the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday.

    Adewole provided details on the development when he spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting in Abuja.

    “Council received the weekly report on the state of public health in Nigeria and we did inform council about four major outbreaks that we are currently tracking.

    “One is Lassa Fever and we are quite happy that there is a major decline in a number of reported cases. We have also not reported any deaths in the last two weeks but we still have two cases reported from Edo last week.

    “We still have cholera in some parts of the country, particularly in Kano, Kebbi, Borno and Zamfara but the outbreak in Borno state is the most significant of all of them.

    “So far since the outbreak started we have recorded 2,719 suspected cases of cholera and we reported 51 deaths in total.

    “We have started cholera vaccination in Borno state as a way of stemming the tide.’’

    The Minister added that the ministry informed FEC about one reported case of yellow fever in Kwara, adding that public health and surveillance officers were deployed to the state to assess the situation with a view to commencing immunisation.

    He said that the immunization would be in two local governments, one each in Kwara and Kogi.

    Adewole expressed delight that Nigeria had not reported any case of Polio since the last reported case in August.

    The minister appreciated the field officers and the armed forces helping in the containment of the disease in Borno by vaccinating the children in the difficult and security-challenged areas.

    “We are quite confident that if we can sustain this in the next two years, Nigeria will be certified Polio-free and I am also certain that that would imply that Africa would also be certified Polio-free,’’ he said.

    Adewole also spoke on how to prevent avoidable deaths which he said was the job of a functional health system.

    He said that the government was trying to change in a transformational way the narrative in the health sector.

    “Over the years we have spent 80 per cent of our budget on curative services and that is not really what we are supposed to do.

    “We really need to move in the direction of prevention services and when you look at our budget we are moving more of our budget to preventive care, more money to immunization.

    “Because when you immunize our children they will not develop measles, cholera or the things that will make them to die.”

    He said that in addition, government had started a programme to curb maternal mortality.

    “We are starting with six states that have the worst levels of maternal mortality.

    “We are starting with Jigawa, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Yobe and we want to crash maternal mortality in those states,’’ he said.

    The minister advised that education and lifestyle behaviours of the citizens should be improved so that those sick did not need to stay at home when the treatment was available in the hospitals.

    He said there should be trust in the health system which would enable things to change, adding that the ministry was working with the Bureau of Public Service Reforms to change ways things were done in the health system.

    He expressed dismay that patients waited upwards of three hours to six hour before they could be attended to by doctors.

    Adewole added that the administration inherited problems in the health sector which led to the strikes in the sector.

    He disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, to compile the debt in the sector with a view to clearing them.