The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lassa fever

  • Denmark-based don urges FG to check animal diseases

    Denmark-based don urges FG to check animal diseases

    Ade Ojeniyi, a Denmark-based Professor of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, has urged the Federal Government to work with experts to prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans.

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the telephone from Grindsted, Denmark on Tuesday that government should use the experts to check Zoo-Anthroponoses.

    Zoo-Anthroponoses are animal diseases transmitted to humans.

    “Zooanthroponoses constitute a major cause of morbidity and mortality across the world, and particularly in Nigeria where most, unfortunately, they are often neglected by primary healthcare managers and by policymakers.

     

    Ojeniyi said that the anthropozoonotic diseases which are endemic in the country are anthrax, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, rabies, Lassa fever, trypanosomiasis, and echinococcosis.

    He said that the risk posed to the country`s population by these neglected diseases was enormous.

    “ Despite the fact that these risk factors associated with their occurrence have been identified and their prophylaxis advocated, the control of these zoo-anthroponoses in the country is virtually non-existent, while knowledge of their impact on human health is at best rudimentary,” he said.

    He said that one of checking the spread of water-borne diseases from animals was to keep the cows in places where they could grow and get energy.

    “ There is no human health without animal health.  The government should ensure that animals do not roam about. By roaming about, it drills their survival, energy, vitality, and all that they should have used to produce milk and beef.

    “ They should be collected in places where vegetation is very conge nous. They should be kept in places where they should grow and get energy, “ he said.

    He said that when the animals roam, they pollute rivers, Creeks, lakes and the environment. When the environment is polluted, it makes it easy for infections to thrive,” Ojeniyi said.

  • Lassa fever death toll rises to 21

    Lassa fever death toll rises to 21

    Lassa fever has claimed 21 lives, it was announced on Tuesday.

    Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)  National Coordinator Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu said the deaths were recorded from 77 confirmed cases.

    Ihekweazu spoke at the opening of the National Executive Council meeting of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in Abuja.

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

    The national coordinator quoted Dr Sylvanus Okogbeni, Chief Medical Director, Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo State, 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 addressed the challenges of hemorrhagic fevers, including Lassa fever.

    The national coordinator said NCDC had 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 government alone might not be able to supply the needed drugs to all the affected persons in the country.

    Ihekweazu said the center 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.

    Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) President 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.

  • Cross River increases awareness on Lassa fever

    Cross River increases awareness on Lassa fever

    The Cross River Government has increased awareness campaign against Lassa fever to prevent further outbreak of the disease.

    Commissioner for Health Dr Inyang Asibong said the exercise became necessary as the two cases of Lassa fever recorded were traced to migrants who came into the state.

    Asibong presented personal protective equipment to health workers yesterday at the Ikang Border in Bakassi Local Government Area.

    The commissioner said the state government places high premium on the health status of the residents.

    The equipment donated included disposable gowns, hand gloves, nose masks, headgears and shoe covers.

    She noted that the equipment would be useful for other forms of medical emergencies aside from Lassa fever.

    “The idea behind this initiative is to protect our health workers against contracting any disease. We have solid health team across all the land borders in the state and it is important for us to equip them.

    “This Ikang border in Bakassi Local Government borders Cameroon. Many people transit this border for leisure and business. We are here today to sensitise the border community and equip our health team with the necessary health equipment.

    “This exercise will be replicated in all border towns across the state as we are leaving no stone unturned in our drive to strengthen our borders against disease migration,’’ she said.

    Director-General, Cross River Primary HealthCare Agency Dr Betta Edu, said the state had re-activated its Emergency Response Unit, set up a task force committee as well as isolation units across the state.

    She added that community health workers across the state have been equipped to pick up patients showing signs of any endemic disease in all communities and border areas.

  • Lassa fever: Three died in Taraba – WHO

    Lassa fever: Three died in Taraba – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday confirmed that three persons died of Lassa fever in Taraba.

    A Surveillance Officer of WHO, Dr. Bello Ahmed, disclosed this at a sensitization workshop on Lassa fever in Jalingo, the state capital.

    The workshop was organised by the state Ministry of Health.

    Represented by Dr. Zeto Philip, the WHO surveillance officer said 12 cases were reported, three confirmed dead and three positive cases had been placed under close monitoring.

    Ahmed, who said Bali, Ibi, Gassol, Gashaka, Jalingo and Ardo-Kola local government areas have been placed under red alert, said two deaths were recorded in Jalingo and one in Ardo-Kola.

    He put the state at 25 percent infection rate.

  • Ondo monarchs urged to educate subjects on Lassa fever

    The Ondo State government at the weekend urged traditional rulers to enlighten their subjects on the need to prevent the spread of Lassa fever in the state.

    Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi spoke when he visited to the Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Kiladejo, at his palace during the monthly environmental sanitation.

    A statement by the Press Officer in the Deputy Governor’s office, Sunday Ajibola, quoted Ajayi as saying royal fathers are closer to the people than anyone else.

    Ajayi said: “I have come with a mandate from Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. The government needs your support to enlighten and make the people aware of the dangers in unhygienic ways of life.

    “This way of life is the cause of the deadly Lassa fever. We need to let farmers and food sellers know the danger inherent in drying foodstuffs, such as garri, in the open field or space.

    “Rats get attracted to these places to eat the raw food items and drop their wastes on the food. We are appealing to our royal fathers to use their influence and reach to get across to our people that this preventable spread of Lassa fever does not get here.”

    The deputy governor hailed Ondo residents for complying with the monthly sanitation and making their environment neat.

    Oba Kiladejo promised to use the four radio stations in the community to raise awareness on Lassa fever.

    He said: “Aside the conventional media, I will bring the matter up at our weekly meetings, involving myself, the baale’s, the olojas, the high chiefs and other subjects.”

    Ajayi was accompanied by the Commissioner for Environment, Funso Esan and the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area, Mrs Margret Atere.

    The deputy governor also visited Aponmu, where he noted that the residents did not comply with the sanitation.

    He urged the people to take the hygiene of their environment serious.

    Ajayi assured the people that their immediate needs would get government attention, especially the roads.

    On the activities of herdsmen in the area, the deputy governor said the government had set up a committee to examine the causes of conflict between farmers and herdsmen with the aim of proffering lasting solutions.

    He urged them to maintain a cordial relationship with one another, as law-abiding citizens, adding that the state should not be turned into a battle field.

  • Lassa fever: Ondo monarchs urged on mobilization

    Lassa fever: Ondo monarchs urged on mobilization

    Following reported cases of lassa fever in Ondo state which claimed five lives, the Co-ordinator of Primary Health Care(PHC) in Akoko Northwest local government area, Dr Abdulazees Adewale has urged traditional rulers, community and religious leaders to join hands with health commitees in the area.

    This is to curb the spread of the deadly disease particularly in the rural communities.

    Adewale urged the people to always embark on personal hygiene and make their environment clean.

    He commended the state government particularly Commisioner for Health, Dr Adegbenro for his action since the outbreak of lassa fever in the state.

    Responding, the Oloyin of Oyin Akoko, Oba Olusola Bamisile thanked the health team for their efforts in educating the rural comunities.

     

  • Lassa fever: Ebonyi unhappy with FG for poor response

    Lassa fever: Ebonyi unhappy with FG for poor response

    The Ebonyi Government, on Saturday, blamed the Federal Government for its poor response to the Lassa fever outbreak, which was reported in the state since Jan. 14.

    Gov. David Umahi, made this disclosure in Abakaliki while receiving Prof. Isaac Adewole, the Minister of Health during his visit to the state to ascertain the situation report of the outbreak.

    Umahi, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Kelechi Igwe, said that the minister came to the state after the disease had claimed several lives, especially medical personnel.

    “We are not happy over the development and have declared the outbreak of the disease in the state, even if other affected states have not done that.

    “We know that accessing money from the Federal Government is not easy but we want the health minister to redouble his efforts to ensure that funds and other logistics are released promptly to check such outbreaks.

    He called for the equipping of the south east virology centre, constructed by the State government and handed over to the Federal Government in 2016.

    “We thought that the  government should have made the centre operational to make it respond to such outbreaks, as it serves states in South East and neighbouring ones as Benue, Cross River and Akwa Ibom,” he said.

    He called on the Federal Government to release a stabilisation fund to enhance the centre’s operations, adding that the state government had bought a dialysis and a PCR machine for greater efficiency of the centre.

    “We recorded 16 cases, nine confirmed cases, six suspected cases, one probable index case; eight persons admitted at the virology centre, one admitted in Irrua, Edo.

    “There were four deaths, including two doctors and a nurse and three patients discharged from admissions,” he said.

    Adewole, after inspecting the virology, said that the ministry was not informed about the outbreak of the disease on time.

    “We reacted accordingly immediately we learnt of the outbreak, as the government’s duty is to support states and we expect them to be in a position to respond accordingly.

    “We only come to their rescue when the situation is beyond them because there is a Commissioner of Health on ground; this makes us  offer only additional support.

    “We are not supposed to take care of the states’ health care, as I have seen patients and staff at the virology centre, we have noted the gaps and would fill in the gaps accordingly,” he said.

    Adewole promised that the Federal Government would provide more facilities to the centre in the coming weeks to ensure that it caters for other diseases beyond Lassa fever.

    “We are not happy whenever we lose health personnel to diseases such as Lassa fever, as we expect them to protect themselves and be preventive-minded by viewing related-symptoms cases firstly, as Lassa fever”. (NAN)

  • Ebonyi contains spread of Lassa fever

    Ebonyi contains spread of Lassa fever

    The Ebonyi State Government on Friday said that it has contained further outbreak of lassa fever reported in the state since January 14th

    Dr Daniel Umezurike, the state Commissioner for Health disclosed this in Abakaliki during a sensitization program on the disease.

    Newsmen reports that the program was organised for health personnel and members of the public on ways of preventing the deadly disease.

    Umezurike said that the quick intervention of the state and federal governments in the provision of logistics and manpower, with collaboration of stakeholders helped in containing the disease.

    “The successful treatment and discharge of three suspected patients from the hospital on Jan. 25 signified the conclusion of our damage control in containing the disease.

    “We are presently focusing on intensive enlightenment of the populace to prevent a resurgence of the disease and ensure that they are abreast with its preventive measures.

    “We had six suspected cases of the disease in the state with four deaths, as nine suspected patients were admitted in hospitals over the disease,” he said.

    He commended the state governor,c for releasing N5million for equipping of the Virology Centre in the state.

    The commissioner added that the centre would be fully operational next week.

    “The admission wards at the Specialist Hospital Irrua, Edo are filled with suspected patients, as the Federal Ministry of Health provided tents at the hospital to contain more patients.

    “We intend to ameliorate the situation with experts working assiduously to ensure that all units in the virology centre become fully operational.

    “The dialysis machine has been test-run and is operating perfectly, while the experts are working to ensure that the laboratory section becomes operational soon.

    READ ALSO:No confirmed case of Lassa fever in Abuja – Director 

    “Lassa-fever tests are biologically-molecular in nature and relevant technicians undergo higher, intensive training due to the disease’s complex nature,” he said.

    He urged the people to stop embalming corpses at home, engaging in traditional throat surgery, and bush burning to ensure that Lassa-fever is totally controlled.

    “I urge traditional rulers, opinion leaders, Local Government Areas to relay this information at the grassroots and ensure that the people comply with it,” he said.

    Dr Chamberlain Nwele, state Head of Service, also commended organizers of the program and urged the people to ensure that the disease was permanently checked.

    “The people should realise that the increased rate of bush burning in our communities makes rats, the disease’s primary vector to relocate to homes.

    “We should, therefore, take suspected victims to nearest hospitals and ensure that our surroundings are generally kept clean,” he said.

    Dr Nnenna Ajayi, a physician at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, in her lecture entitled, “Lassa fever and the Community’’ remarked that the disease was preventable and curable.

    According to him, the disease does not have minor or severe level because once it is treated; the person is free and should not be discriminated against.

    NAN

  • Lassa fever: Enugu sensitises residents

    Enugu State Ministry of Health is sensitisation of residents on the danger of Lassa fever in the 17 local governments, Director of Public Health Dr. Okechukwu Ossai has said.

    He spoke yesterday in Enugu in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    A World Health Organisation (WHO) publication, Mediacentre, says: “Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness of two to 21 days that occurs in West Africa.

    “The virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent’s urine or faeces.’’

    Ossai said the state is on top of the situation following reported deaths due to the disease in neighbouring Imo State.

    “We are still sensitising residents on ways to be free from Lassa fever and other diseases.

    “The ministry has provided personnel and protective facilities for health centres,’’ he said.

    The director advised residents to maintain good hygiene by covering their food items and desisting from bush burning, to check rodents from coming into their homes.

  • Lassa fever: Atiku calls for emergency call desks at health facilities

    Lassa fever: Atiku calls for emergency call desks at health facilities

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has advised the Federal Government to establish emergency call desks at strategic health facilities to address the rampaging Lassa fever in the country.

    Abubakar in a statement issued by his Media Office on Thursday in Abuja also advised government to ramp up on the sensitisation of the public about the disease.

    “It is equally important that government partners with the private sector and medical research institutions towards ensuring that vaccines are formulated.

    “They should partner to come out with vaccines that can combat and eventually wipe out some perennial diseases inclusive of Lassa fever which recurrence pose a threat to our public health,” he said.

    Abubakar advised that every household should endeavour to be enlightened about the disease and how to prevent it.

    He warned that the fatality figure on the trail of the outbreak of Lassa fever was becoming alarming, as the disease was spreading across states.

    Recent media reports indicated that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 16 fatalities and 107 suspected cases of Lassa fever infection.

    The report also indicated that the disease had spread to 10 states.

    Abubakar, however, sympathised with families who were victims of the outbreak of the disease.

    He expressed optimism that Nigeria would overcome the “fangs of the outbreak just like it did with the dreaded Ebola outbreak.

    “The resurgence of the Lassa fever is unfortunate and it is saddening that some families have lost dear ones to the recent outbreak of the disease,” he said.

    Abubakar applauded the efforts of health workers in stemming the scourge of the disease.

    He noted that they were like soldiers waging a war in which unfortunately some died in trying to save the lives of others.

    “Our health workers who are in the front line of viral and microbial attacks are deserving of our support and recognition.”

    He paid tributes to Drs Abel Sunday Udo, Ali Felix and Idowu Ahmed as well other health workers who were infected and died in the course of treating Lassa fever patients in Ebonyi and Kogi states.