•Suspected outbreak in Ondo
A doctor with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, Kogi State, who was infected with Lassa fever, has died.
Unconfirmed sources at the hospital said the victim died around 6pm yesterday.
“It is very unfortunate; he did not make it; he died around 6pm the next day (Sunday)’” the source said.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr Olatunde Alabi, said the doctor was diagnosed last Friday. According to him, the victim’s blood sample was sent to the FMC, Irrua, Edo State, where it came out positive.
He added that the victim was, on Saturday, evacuated to Irrua for further treatment and those who came in contact with him placed under surveillance.
The centre has also begun contact tracing to pinpoint the source of the disease and ascertain if there are other victims within the deceased’s community.
An outbreak of Lassa fever has also been reported in Ondo State.
The Chief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, Dr Liasu Ahmed, confirmed the outbreak to newsmen on Monday on telephone.
Ahmed, however, declined to give further details.
He said that it was the prerogative of the Ondo State Government to release details on the outbreak.
Some persons suspected to have been infected were taken to the FMC, Owo, while others with critical conditions were said to have been referred to Irua Specialist Hospital in Edo for treatment.
Similarly, a medical doctor with the FMC, who spoke on anonymity, confirmed that a family of four persons were brought to the hospital from Oka-Akoko area of the state, while another six suspected victims were also rushed to the centre from Owo and Ose Local Government Areas of the state.
According to the medical doctor, health workers at the FMC were working under fear of contracting the epidemic.
The state government is yet to react to the development as the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahaab Adegbenro, did not answer calls nor reply to text messages.