No fresh case of Lassa fever in Lagos’
No fresh case of Lassa fever in Lagos’
The Lagos State Government, yesterday, disclosed that there is no new case of Lassa fever recorded in the state.
It
also said that the index case, a 25-year-old male undergraduate of the
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, is presently responding
to treatment in the hospital.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris while briefing
newsmen at the weekend, urged residents to remain calm over the outbreak
of Lassa fever, saying everything possible was being done to curtail
the spread of the virus in the state.
Confirming the occurrence of the first case of Lassa fever in the
state, Idris explained that the patient was reported to have fallen ill
after he arrived Lagos and “was taken to Ahmadiyyah Hospital, Ojokoro on
January 9, 2016 with complaint of fever, sore throats and difficulty in
swallowing before he was later taken to Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, LUTH, where he is currently been isolated for treatment.
“The patient is presently being managed at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and his condition is stable”, he added.
Besides, he said that “Ahmmadiyyah Hospital, where the first case of
the disease in Lagos was reported, is now under surveillance and there
will be no service delivery in the facility until further notice. The 15
in-patients as well as 25 health workers in the facility are being
monitored for the next 21 days. Contacts tracing is ongoing; and
currently we have 92 contacts and all are being followed up.”
However, when contacted yesterday, a source at the state Ministry of
Health, who preferred anonymity, said, “As I speak, there is no fresh
case of Lassa in Lagos, the only index case is responding to treatment
under stable condition and contacts are all under strict surveillance
while facilities; and isolation centres have been prepared to manage
suspected and confirmed cases.”
Though, Lassa fever and Ebola Virus Disease are said to belong to the
same Viral Haemorrhagic Fever group, Lassa Fever is milder and can be
treated and cured if detected early. Therefore, any persistent fever
should be reported to the nearest public health facility.
Idris however, urged members of the public and health workers to
report any case or symptoms of persistent high fever not responding to
standard treatment for malaria and typhoid fever to the nearest health
facility or call the following lines:, 08037170614, 08022234273,
08022241768 08033065303, 08033086660, 08055281442 and 08023169485.
Assuring the Lagosians, Idris said “Government is fully prepared to
manage the situation and as such people should not panic for whatever
reasons.
The Lagos State Government as part of its mandate remains committed
to ensuring that the well being of the people is assured. We will not
compromise on our commitment to a healthy and happy state.”
