Lassa fever kills one in Edo

One person has been confirmed dead in Edo State after being diagnosed with Lassa fever infection.

Doctors at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State are battling to save another victim currently on admission over Lassa fever.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Heregie Aihanuwa, who confirmed the death, said five persons were hospitalized because of Lassa fever.

The commissioner said six persons were hospitalized and three infected persons had been treated and discharged.

Dr. Aihanuwa said the dead victim did not report early for treatment.

She said the state government had begun sensitization programme on Lassa fever to rural communities.

She stated that health workers in the state have been cautioned to look out for symptoms of Lassa fever and refer suspected cases.

Lassa fever kills one in Edo

Six cases of lassa fever confirmed in Edo State

The Edo Government has confirmed recording six cases of Lassa fever in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Aihanuwa Eregie, told newsmen in Benin on Monday that the cases were confirmed at the Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo.

“Among the six cases, one is from Plateau while the remaining five cases are from Edo.

“Among the five cases from Edo, four are from Estako West local government area while the remaining case is from Uhumwonde area of the state,” she said.

Eregie said that the disease was a serious threat to residents of the state, adding that Edo harbours most of the cases of the disease diagnosed in Nigeria.

 “Lassa fever is a haemorrhagic viral disease caused by Lassa virus which is transmitted from rats, of the family called Mastomys, to humans.“The symptoms of the disease include severe illness with fever and at least one of the following signs: bloody stool, vomiting blood or unexplained bleeding from the gums, nose, vagina, skin or eyes.

“Lassa fever initially presents like other forms of fever in our community.

“It is important to report all cases of febrile illnesses that are not responding to common treatment measures to the nearest facility for proper diagnosis.

“Edo government is already putting measures in place to stop the further spread of the disease.

“The measures include health education and sensitisation of clinicians and other health workers, intensification of surveillance for Lassa fever and other diseases.

“Other measures are linkage of healthcare centres to the Institute of Lassa Fever Research in the state and early referral of suspected cases to the Lassa fever institute.,’’ said the commissioner.

She urged residents of the state to desist from bush burning so that rats are not driven into homes.

The commissioner also appealed to residents to embrace good sanitary conditions and proper storage of foods in covered containers to break the chain of transmission of the disease.

She also called for proper and regular hand washing, eliminating rats from homes, wearing of personal protective covering when in contact with persons suspected to have the disease.

Besides, the commissioner called for proper disposal of medical waste to check the spread of the disease.

Six cases of lassa fever confirmed in Edo State

Lassa fever: Death toll hits 40

The Federal Government  yesterday confirmed the death of 40 Nigerians in a Lassa fever outbreak in 10 states  of the country.

Eighty-six people  were infected in Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Edo, Plateau, Gombe and Oyo ,according to Health Minister Isaac Adewole.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines  Lassa fever as an acute haemorrhagic illness which belongs to the arenarvirus family of viruses, which also includes the Ebola-like Marburg virus.

Adewole called the outbreak an embarrassment .

“It is not the outbreak that   is unusual; what is unusual is the large number of deaths recorded so far and these deaths came largely from three states; Kano, Bauchi and Niger,” Adewole told reporters  yesterday while giving an update on the situation in Abuja.

He said the situation in Niger is “worrisome because we had unusual deaths dating back to August and only came to light about three to four months after and that represents a breakdown in disease notification system and we are trying to strengthen this because deaths even when they are unusual should be reported and we should not have waited for 35 cases in Niger before sitting up and that is the worrisome part of it.

He spelt out measures to check the spread of the disease.

These include avoiding contact with rats and  food or objects contaminated with rats’ secretions or excretion.

Shedding light on disease,he said: “The onset of the disease is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, and malaise followed by headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and bleeding from mouth, nose, vagina and gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure.

“The virus is shed in the urine and droppings of the rats and can be transmitted through direct contact, touching objects or eating food contaminated with these materials or through cuts or sores and the incubation period is 6 to 21 days.”

He asked  health facilities across  the country  to place emphasis on routine infection prevention and control measures and ensure that all patients are treated free.

Health workers seeing patients suspected to have the fever were advised  to contact the following numbers: 08093810105, 08163215251, 08031571667 and 0813505005.

The first case of the disease was recorded last November in Bauchi state. Cases were then reported in Kano and other places.

The Lagos State government  on Thursday alerted residents on the need to observe proper hygiene to curb the spread of the disease.

One of the Lassa fever deaths occurred in Plateau State.

Consequently, the authorities have placed a team of medical experts on  the red alert to prevent its spread.

The disease  has been noticed in Jos North, Mangu, Langtang South, Pankshin and Shendam Local Government Areas.

Health Commissioner  Kuden Kamshak who briefed the press in Jos yesterday said  the  state, with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), “is working round the clock to contain the spread of the virus.”

Accordingly, Disease Survellance and Notification Officers (DSNO)  have been deployed  in each of the 17 local governments in the state to monitor and manage the health challenge.

The commissioner  urged residents not to panic but remain calm and vigilant, and to report promptly to the nearest health care facility.

The  Niger State government issued a similar don’t panic advice yesterday on the Lassa fever outbreak.

Health and Health Services  Commissioner  Mustapha Jibril in a statement in Minna  said that measures were  being  put in place to address the development as blood samples of those suspected to have been infected had been taken for laboratory test at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in Abuja and Lagos.

He said: “The Ministry of Health and Health Services has swung into action in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, World Health Organization (WHO) and the local government to bring the situation under control,” Jibril stated.

The Commissioner said that his ministry had strengthened monitoring and surveillance on the affected communities in Fuka ward of Muyan Local Government area of the state.

He then called on members of the public with to come up with information on any suspected disease or death to the nearest health facilities.

Lassa fever: Death toll hits 40