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Tag: Lassa fever

  • Doctor contacts Lassa fever in Kogi

    Kogi State has recorded a fresh outbreak of Lassa fever as an unnamed medical doctor working with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, has contacted the disease.

    Briefing journalists on Saturday in Lokoja, the Chief Medical Director of FMC, Dr. Olatunde Alabi, said the doctor was diagnosed of the disease on January 19.

    He said the victim’s blood sample was sent to the FMC, Irrua, Edo State, where it tested positive to Lassa fever.

    Alabi said the 30- year old physician was in the early hours of Saturday taken to Irrua for further treatment.

    According to him, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the state ministry of health and other stakeholders have been informed of the development and are assisting the centre in various ways.

     

  • Medical Doc. tested positive to Lassa fever in Kogi

    Medical Doc. tested positive to Lassa fever in Kogi

    Kogi State has recorded a fresh outbreak of Lassa fever as a medical doctor working with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) , Lokoja has been confirmed to be a victim of the disease.

    Dr Olatunde Alabi, the Medical Director of FMC, who briefed newsmen on Saturday in Lokoja, said that the male doctor was diagnosed of the disease on Jan. 19.

    He said that the victim’s blood sample was sent to the Federal Medical Centre, Irrua, Edo State for laboratory analysis, adding that it tested positive.

    Alabi said that the 30-year-old doctor was in the early hours of Saturday taken to Irrua for further treatment.

    According to the medical director, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the state Ministry of Health and other stakeholders have been informed of the development and are already assisting the Centre in various ways.

    He said that all the people that came in contact with the sick doctor, both at home and work had been placed under surveillance.

    Alabi said that the centre in partnership with relevant stakeholders had commenced contact tracing to enable it trace the source of the disease and ascertain if there was any other victim within the community where the doctor resides.

    He said that the Centre would also embark on health education for its members of staff to prevent human to human transmission of the disease.

    The medical expert urged members of the public to endeavour to report cases of fever early to the nearest health facility for early treatment.

    He also appealed to residents to take urgent steps to eliminate rats in their houses and surroundings, saying that foodstuff like garri, rice, beans, maize should be kept in air tight containers to prevent contamination by rats.

    It would be recalled that the centre in 2017 handled three cases of Lassa fever, two of the victims died while one survived.

  • Lassa fever: Death toll rises to four

    Lassa fever: Death toll rises to four

    The death toll in the Lassa Fever outbreak in Ebonyi State has risen to four, Commissioner for Health Daniel Umezuruike has said.

    One hundred and thirty-nine persons are under surveillance.

    Schools have also been shut as the government scrambles to curtail the disease.

    Umezurike, who addressed reporters yesterday, said nine cases have been confirmed while three are at critical stages of treatment.

    Two among the three under treatment were a mother and child.

    His words: ”At present, the state has 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 being treated. We have three patients undergoing treatment and all are doing well.”

    Umezuruike, however, assured resident that the government is on top of the situation.

    Commissioner for Education, Prof John Eke, in a statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Uche Nkechi, said the decision to close all schools was taken after a woman tested positive to the disease yesterday.

    The statement reads: “In view of the fact that a mother tested positive to Lassa Fever, and she has children in the schools within the state, the Commissioner for Education hereby directs that all public and private schools be shut till January 26.

    “Parents and guardians are advised to restrict the movement of their children at home.”

     

  • FMC Keffi records three suspected cases of Lassa fever

    FMC Keffi records three suspected cases of Lassa fever

    Dr Giyan Joshua-Ndom, the Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi, Nasarawa State, says the hospital is currently handling three cases of suspected Lassa fever.

    Joshua-Ndom told our reporter in Keffi on Thursday that the hospital had taken the patients’ blood samples for test to ascertain whether or not they had the disease.

    “The patients have been separated from other patients.

    “There are three suspected cases and we have taken adequate measures in order to tackle the situation because the health of the people is our concern.

    “I want to use this medium to appeal to patients and members of the public not to panic, but to remain calm.

    “Necessary steps have been taken to avert the spread of the virus in case there is any,” he said.

    The medical director also restated the commitment of the centre to good policies and projects that had direct bearing on the lives of Nigerians.

    Lassa fever is transmitted to human through contamination of broken skin via direct or indirect contact with the excreta or urine of infected rat.

    One can also contract it through the consumption of contaminated rat.

    NAN

  • Ebonyi closes schools to check spread of lassa fever

    Ebonyi closes schools to check spread of lassa fever

    The Ebonyi Government on Thursday ordered closure of all public and private schools in the state to check the spread of lassa fever that broke out in the state recently.

    Prof. John Eke, the Commissioner for Education, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in an interview in Abakaliki, that the closure was part of proactive steps taken to contain the spread of the disease in the state.

    According to him, government embarked on the measure to effectively control and contain the spread of the dreaded lassa virus which had claimed some lives including two medical doctors.

    The commissioner, however, said that the lassa out break in the state was not alarming, but noted that the closure of schools was done to check the disease spreading into schools.

    “First of all, I want to inform you that the issue of the outbreak of the lassa disease is not in alarming rate, and what we have done is to ensure that we effectively put the spread under control.

    “Again, a women yesterday (Wednesday, Jan 17), was diagnosed positive of the virus and this patient has her children in schools.

    “We believe that one of the best ways to handle the situation is to shut down our schools until we are sure that our pupils and students are safe.

    “The schools will remain shut for seven school days to enable us monitor the situation and we appeal to parents, guardians and school authorities to comply with the directive, ” Eke said

  • Lassa outbreak: Fistula Centre evacuates patients from hospital

    Lassa outbreak: Fistula Centre evacuates patients from hospital

    Following the recent outbreak of Lassa Fever in Ebonyi state, the National Obstetric Fistula Centre (NOFIC), Abakaliki has evacuated its patients from the hospital following outbreak of Lassa fever at the nearby Virology Centre of the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA).

    This is even as the state House of Assembly on has summoned contractors that built N350million ultra-modern virology centre to appear before it over allegations that they did not fully equipped the hospital after they were paid by the state government.

    Both NOFIC and the Virology centre were built by the state government and taken over by the federal government.

    The two institutions are located inside the premises of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, close to each other with a wall separating them from each other.

    The Nation had reported how two doctors at FETHA and a nurse had died in a fresh Lassa fever outbreak in the hospital.

    Another doctor is said to be in critical condition at Irrua Lassa fever Specialist Hospital, Edo state though The Nation could not independently verify this report.

    Worried by the outbreak of the disease in FETHA, management of the National Obstetric Fistula centre evacuated all the patients in the hospital to an undisclosed hospital.

    When The Nation visited NOFIC, no patient was seen at the wards.

    A staff of the hospital who spoke confidence said all the patients in the hospital were evacuated to another hospital.

    “You know this hospital is located beside this virology centre and some of the patients including the deceased were taken to the virology centre before being evacuated to Irua Specialist hospital where some of them died early this week.

    “So, our management feel it is very imperative to evacuate all our patients out of our hospital even though the virology centre has been fumigated”, he said.

    He disclosed that some of the patients that were evacuated from the hospital just passed through surgery.

  • FG approves tertiary military hospital for Sokoto

    FG approves tertiary military hospital for Sokoto

    Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Tuesday commended the Nigerian Army for the establishment of a tertiary military hospital in Sokoto.

    Accordingly, the hospital facility will serve as centre of excellence for diseases of military importance.

    A statement issued to reporters in Sokoto by Malam Imam Imam, spokesman to the Governor said the hospital, the first of its kind in the country, will also serve as a research institution with a United Nations’-grade international public health laboratory.

    The government according to the statement had provided space at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital for temporary use by the hospital pending completion of its permanent site.

    The statement quoted Tambuwal as saying that some states have applied to be given the right to host the facility, but Sokoto emerged the preferred destination.

    His words: “First of all, I want to inform the people of Sokoto state that our efforts in attracting important projects from within and outside the country has continued to yield positive results.

    “This hospital is of great importance not just to the military but to our people as a whole. Diseases of military importance are areas of concern globally because of the large population of people that can be infected after outbreaks.

    “Such diseases are subject of importance in efforts to counter bioterrorism and bio-weapons by aggressor nations. These infectious diseases include among others dengue fever, ebola, lassa fever, anthrax among others.

    “Having a centre in Sokoto dedicated to countering these likely outbreaks is a welcome development. We will support the hospital with facilities and logistics to properly take off until it is fully on its feet,” he added.

    The statement also dispelled the notion that the government has permanently handed over the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital to the military.

    “We just sent a bill to the state House of Assembly to establish the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital as property of the state government. Its position has not changed. The military will use the facility pending when all facilities for the newly-established Nigerian Army’s 8  Division, Sokoto, are fully ready,” the Governor added.

  • Doctor, nurse killed as Lassa fever returns

    Doctor, nurse killed as Lassa fever returns

    •Minister alerts on meningitis outbreak

    Ebonyi State government yesterday confirmed the death of a doctor and a nurse from a renewed Lassa fever outbreak in the state.

    Commissioner for Health Dr Daniel Onwuzurike spoke with reporters in Abakaliki. He noted that the deceased were working at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA).

    Onwuzurike said 12 samples had been collected and tested for possible detection with four testing positive to the dreaded disease.

    “Apart from the two confirmed deaths, we have not confirmed whether another doctor who worked in the hospital died of the disease as he was known to be diabetic.

    “He was being managed for blood-sugar derangement and has been on self-medication for malaria and typhoid fever before his death.

    “We will still confirm whether he died of Lassa fever and have also commenced the tracing of possible contacts of another suspected victim, a FETHA staff but a resident doctor at Afikpo,’’ he said.

    The commissioner said the contact-tracing for all suspected cases would end today, while the victims would be placed on the stipulated 21-day surveillance required for full confirmation.

    “It is, however, pertinent to note that the disease’s index case (suspected source) survived after being treated by doctors and has been discharged.

    “We urge indigenes of the state not to panic because the outbreak is an isolated one and not an epidemic as erroneously being speculated.

    “The state government has intervened tremendously by providing needed resources and logistics such as drugs needed for its treatment.

    “We have also contacted the federal ministry of health on the issue and it has pledged to immediately send needed commodities and manpower to complement our efforts,’’ he said.

    He debunked the insinuation that the samples and suspected patients have been referred to the General Hospital, Irrua in Edo as the South-East Virology Centre Abakaliki, constructed by the state government was functional.

    “We no longer experience panic or pandemonium in hospitals and in the state whenever such cases are reported because our virology centre effectively handles all reported cases.

    “There was also no panic among doctors, nurses and patients at FETHA on Sunday as we only fumigated its premises and evacuated patients, especially those at the accident and emergency section,’’ he said.

    Umezurike said the ministry was in collaboration with the FETHA management and relevant health stakeholders in the state, assuring the people that the situation was under control.

    “We will sustain our enlightenment campaigns over the media and relevant avenues on the need for people to maintain adequate hygiene and immediately report suspected cases to relevant authorities,’’ he said.

    Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole yesterday urged Nigerians to look out for suspected cases of meningitis.

    Prof Adewole spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital at the weekend while sharing with the members of Network of Reproductive Health Journalists of Nigeria.

    The minister said:” That is why we are saying Nigerians should be on the lookout for it. It is so easy to treat. The vaccine is expensive.  When a case is detected we have an epidemic threshold then we quickly vaccinate people in the local governments, that is the best we can do for now.  When we are more prosperous then we can vaccinate everybody.

    “The conjugate is about $20 a vial, while the polyvalent is $3 a vial, so you can calculate what we need for the Nigeria population, and that is for just the vaccine, not including the syringes and other consumables; so, our best bet is to alert Nigerians that this is the season for meningitis and they should beware. We need to contain it.”

    He went on: “Meningitis is seasonal and this is the season and we are alerting Nigerians. The terrible outbreak we had in 2017 was because it was on for three months before we got to know. All of us know what meningitis is, it requires a lumbar puncture; look at the fluid cerebrospinal fluid. When you check and it is milky, then you know there is infection and you can culture it and begin treatment.

    “It is so easy to treat because the causative organism is responsive to antibiotics, but when we do not know that it is meningitis, we could treat malaria for three to five days, typhoid for one week then by the time we get to know, it would have spread. And it spreads like wildfire. As we attend to patients, 10 people can surround the infected person and that one patient would infect six or seven persons and it spreads like that. So, this is the season to alert people to look out and promptly report any suspicion to nearest health facility.

    “The government does not have enough money to vaccinate the whole country.”

     

     

     

     

  • Lassa fever kills two doctors in Ebonyi

    Ebonyi State government on Monday confirmed the death of three medical personnel in the state from suspected Lassa fever infection.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Daniel Umezuruike, confirmed this at a briefing in Abakaliki, the stage capital.

    He said the victims were two medical doctors and a nurse.

    He said the index patient who was treated by one of the doctors and nurse survived and has been discharged.

    The commissioner said: “Early last week there was suspected cases of Lassa and yesterday (Monday) my attention was drawn to it that a doctor died of suspected Lassa. We sent 12 samples and four came out positive.”

     

     

  • Lassa Fever kills three in Ebonyi

    Lassa Fever kills three in Ebonyi

    Ebonyi state government on Monday confirmed the death of three persons of Lassa Fever.

    The state Commissioner for Health, Daniel Umwzuruike confirmed this at a briefing moments ago.
    He said two of the victims are Medical Doctors serving at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakiliki, FETHA, Ebonyi State.

    Read Also:  Kogi medical doctors begin strike

    The deceased include Abel Sunday Udo, who was a Resident Doctor in the Department of Otorhinolayngology, FETHA, and Dr Ali Felix, a Resident Doctor in the Department of Community Medicine,‎ of the same hospital.

    The death was confirmed in a terse statement by the National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD.

    The statement was signed by NARD secretary, Dr. O.V Nnadi.