The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lassa fever

  • 101 persons die of Lassa fever-MSF

    The humanitarian medical organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is seeking  proactive vigilance in Nigeria against Lassa fever which it says has claimed  101 lives since the current  outbreak in the country.

    MFS’s Field Communication Manager, Maro Verli, said yesterday in a statement in Maiduguri, Borno State, that 1, 781 suspected cases of the disease were recorded across  the country between December 2017 and March 2018.

    Verli quoted Claire Lansard, MSF’s Emergency Coordinator, as saying: “the current outbreak is the largest in recent years, with 1,781 suspected cases; of which 408 were confirmed, and 146 deaths while 101 were confirmed to be Lassa fever.

    “However, the number of cases reporting to health facilities has declined in the recent weeks according to figures from the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

    “Health workers have also been affected by the outbreak, with deaths occurring amongst nurses, healthcare assistants and doctors become infected by treating patients who were not aware they had the disease or by working without adequate protective equipment such as gowns, gloves and masks”.

    Lansard stressed that vigilance was required despite reduction of the cases in the past two months.

    He explained that the disease could first appear with very mild symptoms, but if people are worried that they might be infected, they should visit the nearest health centre.

    “Lassa is a viral hemorrhagic fever that occurs every year in Nigeria between December and March.

    “The disease is spread to humans through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected multimammate rat and could then spread between people in the same way.

    “Though it starts with symptoms such as fever, nausea and headaches, in around one in five people it could lead to more serious symptoms such as organ failure.

    “The numbers of cases have reduced in the past few weeks; we still need to be vigilant to protect patients and health workers against Lassa fever.

    “MSF has long-term experience caring for people affected by viral hemorrhagic fever, and helping health services to protect staff as they care for these patients. We are pleased to be sharing this technical expertise with the Nigerian Health Services, and to be working together to tackle this outbreak,” Lansard said.

    Verli disclosed further that the organisation had scaled up activities in collaboration with health institutions to respond to severe outbreak in areas where the disease manifested.

    He said that MSF teams had been working in three of the most affected states; Bauchi, Ebonyi and Ondo, to control the disease.

    The communication manager revealed that the organisation had erected an isolation facility in Bauchi with capacity to treat six persons, while the team was providing training to personnel of the Ministry of Health on how to treat patients.

    He added that the organisation had also donated drugs to care for those suffering from the disease and worked with the most affected communities to create awareness on the symptoms of the disease.

    “MSF is working in collaboration with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, to support and strengthen the functioning of the Virology Centre dedicated to treat patients with Lassa fever.

    “The team is also providing training and equipment to staff working in the Virology Centre and to those working at the entry points of the hospital where they could come into contact with patients who might come to the hospital for treatment without knowing that they have Lassa fever.

    “These include emergency, gynaecology and obstetrics departments as well as emergency departments for adults and children. The training being provided will also help the hospital team to prepare for another outbreak next year,” Verli said.

    Similarly, the organisation trained health workers in Ondo; where 28 deaths were recorded of the 287 suspected and 98 confirmed cases.

    Verli said that apart from the training exercise, MSF donated Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) kits to eight health facilities and rehabilitated the only isolation ward in Akure, Ondo State.

    The project, he said, included rehabilitation of the isolation ward, construction of a waste management area, triage, ambulance pathway and other minor works in the hospital.

     

  • 101 persons die of Lassa fever–MSF

    A humanitarian medical organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on Saturday called for proactive vigilance in Nigeria against Lassa fever, as 101 persons have died in the recent outbreak of the disease .

    MSF also called Doctors without Borders disclosed that 101 persons were confirmed dead of the disease of the 146 total deaths recorded since the outbreak in the country.

    MFS’s Field Communication Manager, Maro Verli, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    The statement quoted Claire Lansard, MSF’s Emergency Coordinator, as saying that 1, 781 suspected cases of the disease were recorded at various facilities in the country between December 2017 and March 2018.

    Lansard said: “the current outbreak is the largest in recent years, with 1,781 suspected cases; of which 408 were confirmed, and 146 deaths while 101 were confirmed to be Lassa fever.

    “However, the number of cases reporting to health facilities has declined in the recent weeks according to figures from the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

    “Health workers have also been affected by the outbreak, with deaths occurring amongst nurses, healthcare assistants and doctors become infected by treating patients who were not aware they had the disease or by working without adequate protective equipment such as gowns, gloves and masks”.

    Lansard stressed that vigilance was required despite reduction of the cases in the past two months.

    He explained that the disease could first appear with very mild symptoms, but if people are worried that they might be infected, they should visit the nearest health centre.

    “Lassa is a viral hemorrhagic fever that occurs every year in Nigeria between December and March.

    “The disease is spread to humans through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected multimammate rat and could then spread between people in the same way.

    “Though it starts with symptoms such as fever, nausea and headaches, in around one in five people it could lead to more serious symptoms such as organ failure.

    “The numbers of cases have reduced in the past few weeks; we still need to be vigilant to protect patients and health workers against Lassa fever.

    “MSF has long-term experience caring for people affected by viral hemorrhagic fever, and helping health services to protect staff as they care for these patients. We are pleased to be sharing this technical expertise with the Nigerian Health Services, and to be working together to tackle this outbreak,” Lansard said.

    Verli disclosed further that the organisation had scaled up activities in collaboration with health institutions to respond to severe outbreak in areas where the disease manifested.

    He said that MSF teams had been working in three of the most affected states; Bauchi, Ebonyi and Ondo, to control the disease.

    The communication manager revealed that the organisation had erected an isolation facility in Bauchi with capacity to treat six persons, while the team was providing training to personnel of the Ministry of Health on how to treat patients.

    He added that the organisation had also donated drugs to care for those suffering from the disease and worked with the most affected communities to create awareness on the symptoms of the disease.

    “MSF is working in collaboration with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, to support and strengthen the functioning of the Virology Centre dedicated to treat patients with Lassa fever.

    “The team is also providing training and equipment to staff working in the Virology Centre and to those working at the entry points of the hospital where they could come into contact with patients who might come to the hospital for treatment without knowing that they have Lassa fever.

    “These include emergency, gynaecology and obstetrics departments as well as emergency departments for adults and children. The training being provided will also help the hospital team to prepare for another outbreak next year,” Verli said.

    Similarly, the organisation trained health workers in Ondo; where 28 deaths were recorded of the 287 suspected and 98 confirmed cases.

    Verli said that apart from the training exercise, MSF donated Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) kits to eight health facilities and rehabilitated the only isolation ward in  Akure, Ondo State.

    The project, he said, included rehabilitation of the isolation ward, construction of a waste management area, triage, ambulance pathway and other minor works in the hospital.

    MSF also trained health workers in Anambra state on how to treat patients and to set up an isolation facility, adding that the team had been deployed to Ebonyi sequel to effective control of the outbreak in Anambra.

    According to him, MSF was also running an extensive child and reproductive health projects in Sokoto and Jigawa; provision of care to children affected by lead poisoning in Zamfara and Niger States as well as victims of sexual violence in Port Harcourt.

    MSF has also been providing healthcare services to people affected by conflict in northeastern state  since 2014.

  • Lassa fever: 30 under surveillance in Abia after doctor’s death

    Following the reported death of Dr Chizorom Ndukwu after contracting Lassa fever, the management of Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia has placed 30 persons believed to have come in contact with her under surveillance.

    Dr Ndukwu, a resident doctor at the facility, who was just about a month on the job, was said to have died of Lassa fever at the Nigerian Centre of Disease Control (NCDC), Irrua, Edo state where she was taken for treatment.

    Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia, the Medical Director (MD) of FMC Umuahia, Dr Abali Chuku during a joint press conference with the state commissioner for health, Dr John Ahukanna, he confirmed the ugly incident but assured that it would be contained.

    Dr Chukwu said that because of the death and how it happened that the hospital has deployed its surveillance protocol team to trace those who have had contact with the doctor before she died.

    He said, “The management of Federal Medical Centre Umuahia regrets to announce the death of her staff. She died of Lassa fever; the deceased was initially admitted at FMC in the course of her illness”.

    The MD of FMC Umuahia said that the need to place dozens of persons on surveillance arose due to the fact that some members of staff of the medical facility had come in contact with the deceased in the course of her management.

    He, however, explained that not every person under surveillance has the same level of risk, “Every possible contact whether patient or person will be identified, defined and put on surveillance”.

    Dr Chuku said, “Though every doubt about the cause of the death of the resident doctor has been cleared the mangement of FMC Umuahia has not been able to trace the contact point where the deceased contracted the virus”.

    The MD said that an 11-month old baby was brought from a private hospital on March 12 and died the following day after admission at FMC, adding that the death of the baby was being investigated, as the baby was said to have been treated by the deceased doctor.

    He said that the patient was referred by a pediatrician from a private hospital but the baby was not tested for Lassa virus before she died.

    Dr Chuku explained that it was yet not possible to pinpoint if the baby was the source of the Lassa virus that killed Dr Ndukwu as nobody has manifested any signs of the virus after 21 days incubation period which ended Tuesday starting from the day the baby died.

    He said, “We are not looking at one direction so that you don’t put people’s lives at risk, as medical doctors offer their services across various health facilities and not all hospitals fully observe the standard protocol on disease control, we may not get to know where the deceased doctor contracted the virus”.

    The FMC MD assured that the mangement of the federal health facility has taken every measure to contain the virus, noting that the protocol developed by the NCDC for the containment of Lassa fever was being fully implemented at FMC Umuahia.

    He advised the general public to keep their surroundings clean, ensure that rats do not have access to their food and to report to the nearest health facility whenever they develop fever.

    In his remarks, the health commissioner, Dr Ahukanna said that it was regrettable that Lassa fever has claimed a life in Abia after all efforts to keep the dreaded virus at bay by the state government.

    Ahukanna said that though the apprehension which the outbreak of Lassa fever has created in Abia was understandable, adding that there is no reason to panic as both the state ministry of health and NCDC have taken measures to contain the disease.

    He advised that everyone in Abia should maintain high level of personal and environmental hygiene and also keep rats at bay to ensure that the outbreak of Lassa fever did “not go beyond what we already have.”

  • Lassa fever: ODSG donates medical items to FMC, Owo

    Ondo State Government has donated medical items to Federal Medical Centre, Owo for improved healthcare service delivery against Lassa fever.

    Dr Wahab Adegbenro, the Commissioner for Health, made the donation on behalf of the state government to the management of the FMC in Owo on Tuesday.

    Adegbeenro said the gesture was to appreciate FMC and its strides in tackling the menace of Lassa fever in the state.

    Our reporter  reports that the items donated include; 560 pieces of personal protective equipment, 1,000 surgical gloves, 500 hand gloves, 800 hand sanitisers and 60 bottles of hand wash and 500 thermometers.

    The commissioner said the materials were meant to be used by health workers to forestall contagion of the disease.

    “About two months ago, we were in a serious problem because the Lassa fever was ravaging the state but now the siege is over,” he said.”

    The commissioner said the materials were meant for better management of healthcare services.

    He also said that the items were donated as part of the state government’s supporting gesture to the FMC in discharging its duties.
    “We are going to put machinery in motion to ensure we do not record outbreak again.

    “I thank FMC, Owo for rendering invaluable healthcare services to people of the state,’’ he said.

    Read Also: Govt to get Lassa fever vaccine

    The commissioner, who said the state government would build a laboratory to handle test cases, called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assist the state government to ensure the success of the proposed project.

    Also speaking at the presentation, Dr Francis Akanbiemu, the Executive Secretary, Ondo State Primary HealthCare Development Board (PHCDB) thanked FMC and WHO for their efforts during the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.

    Akanbiemu said the state government thought it wise to support the centre in fighting Lassa in case management, hence the gesture, adding that the items donated had passed through integrity test.

    In his remarks, Dr Akinola Fatiregun, the state WHO Coordinator, promised that the organisation would continue to partner with the state government and other health facilities to ensure quality healthcare delivery.

    “I am happy that the FMC took up the challenge to fight Lassa fever and WHO will continue to support the stakeholders in the healthcare sector, to control outbreak of the disease,’’ he said.

    Fatiregun, however, urged the state government to coordinate activities of donor agencies for enhanced healthcare services to the people.

  • Abia confirms Lassa fever outbreak at FMC

    The Abia State Government has confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Umuahia

    Commissioner for Information John Okiyi, in a statement in Umuahia yesterday, said the government and the hospital management had swung into action to check the spread of the disease.

    “Abia Government is aware of the reported outbreak of Lassa Fever at FMC, Umuahia.

    “The state Ministry of Health is working with the authorities of FMC to ensure full containment of the disease,’’ he said.

    The commissioner added that prophylactic treatment of others, who may have come in contact with the victims had commenced in earnest.

    “We have fully deployed all our emergency medical response systems to instantly ensure full containment and management of the outbreak,’’ Okiyi said.

    He charged all those who had contact with the child, suspected to be the index case, and the medical practitioner, who lost her life, to report immediately to the hospital for further review.

    The commissioner assured the people that drug for treatment of the scourge was in adequate supply in the state.

    According to him, there is no cause for panic as the disease can be successfully treated, especially if diagnosed early.

    However, the authorities of the hospital have reacted to the government, saying that it was too early to conclude that the deceased contracted the disease in the hospital.

    Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Chuku Abali, said it would be premature to conclude that because a medical doctor in FMC died of the disease there was an outbreak of the disease in the hospital.

    Abali said that although the deceased tested positive did not mean that she contracted the disease until the hospital was through with the investigation.

    “We cannot say she got it at FMC or in any private clinic. If a patient is brought to FMC from the village with haemorrhage, you cannot conclude that it is Lassa Fever.

    “You know malaria and other diseases can cause similar symptoms,’’ he said.

    Abali confirmed that a team of investigators from the National Disease Control had arrived at the hospital to carry out thorough investigation on the matter.

    The CMD called for restraint until the end of the investigations, saying that the findings of the team would be made public.

    He gave assurance that the hospital was fully equipped to handle any ailment, including Lassa fever, but insisted that proper diagnosis had to be carried out first to be sure.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the deceased, whose identity was yet to be ascertained at the time of filing the report, contracted the disease after handling a child in the hospital suspected to be suffering from the disease.

    The doctor reportedly died on Sunday at Irua Specialist Hospital in Edo.

  • Combating Lassa fever’s resurgence

    SIR: The new wave of cases of fresh outbreak of Lassa fever in the country should give everyone something to really worry about.  A latest report has it that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has recorded a fresh case of Lassa fever, bringing the number of confirmed cases to three within three months. One of the two victims of the confirmed cases earlier recorded at Bwari Area Council of the FCT died in January. Similarly, in Ekiti State, three persons have been reportedly killed in a fresh outbreak of Lassa fever in the state. The Commissioner for Health, Olurotimi Ojo, who disclosed this revealed that five out of the eight suspected cases in the state tested negative while one was uncertain and the last one pending.

    Lassa fever, a haemorrhagic viral infection is named after Lassa, a village in Borno State, on the south of Lake Chad where the disease was first discovered in 1969 after two missionary nurses lost their lives. Lassa fever manifests like other so-called common ailments such as malaria and typhoid fever. The onset is gradual which makes early diagnosis difficult leading to fatal consequences. It is estimated that 10 percent of almost 500, 000 people infected with Lassa fever lose their lives and approximately 15 percent of hospitalized patients die. The disease is more severe in pregnancy particularly in the third trimester, and foetal loss occurs in greater than 80 percent of cases.

    It is caused by a species of rodents called the Natal multimammate rat, the common African rat, or the African soft-furred rat. The Lassa virus is transmitted when the droppings, that is the urine or faeces of the rat- the natural reservoir for the virus- comes in contact with foodstuffs or in the process of the rat accessing grain stores, either in silos or in residences. The rodents live in houses with humans and deposit excreta on floors, tables, beds and food. Consequently the virus is transmitted to humans through cuts and scratches, or inhaled via dust particles in the air. In some regions these rodents are also consumed as food. Secondary transmission of the virus between humans occurs through direct contact with infected blood or bodily secretions. This occurs mainly between individuals caring for sick patients although anyone who comes into close contact with a person carrying the virus is at risk of infection. Transmission that occurs as a result of treatment in a hospital and outbreaks in healthcare facilities in endemic areas represent a significant burden on the healthcare system.

    There is need to mobilize human and material resources to trace the extent of the disease and follow up on potential contacts in order to identify and test suspected cases early. All tiers of governments must ensure continuous sensitization of citizenry, ensuring homes, markets, offices, motor parks and other public places are regularly fumigated. Everyone must come to term with the need to maintain adequate hygiene and environmental sanitation at all times. The prevention and control of disease remains a shared responsibility. Therefore, we must all shun all acts that could complicate the situation.

    More importantly, individual efforts in challenging this scourge, is sacrosanct to achieve lasting solution to the deadly virus. Everyone must realize that keeping an entire community safe from such rampant disease only resonates from our desire to endlessly pursue personal and communal healthy attitude. Thus, it is important to keep away from rats and report any case of persistent fever to the nearest public health facility. The public is also advised to shun ingestion of foods and drinks infected by the saliva, urine and faeces of infected rats as well as catching and preparing infected rats as food. They should also avoid inhaling small particles in the air contaminated with infected rat urine or droppings.

    Getting directly in contact with an ailing person’s blood or body fluids, through mucous membranes, like eyes, nose or mouth should also be avoided. Above all, we all need to embrace faultless personal and environmental hygiene. It is quite imperative that all stakeholders put up a common front against the spread of this disease, before it becomes another major plague.

     

    • Calista Ozele, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

  • Abia deploys medical team to contain Lassa fever outbreak

    The Abia State Government has announced that it has deployed medical response team at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Umuahia, the state capital to contain the outbreak of Lassa fever at the hospital.

    This was disclosed by the Information Commissioner, Chief John Okiyi in a Press Release on Monday, adding that prophylactic treatment of others who may have come in contact with the victims (doctor and baby) have began.

    Recall that a Pediatric female doctor, Dr. Mrs. Ndukwu Chizaram died at Irua Specialist Hospital after she had been infected by a Lassa fever carrier patient at the Children Emergency section of the hospital.

    The release while calling on Abians to ensure that they maintain clean and sanitary environment at all times, it also stated that the government has enough drugs and there is no cause for panic as the disease can be successfully treated, especially if diagnosed early.

    Parts of the release read “Abia state government is aware of the reported outbreak of Lassa Fever at Federal Medical Center (FMC) Umuahia.

    “The state Ministry of health is working with the authorities of FMC to ensure full containment of the disease and prophylactic treatment of others who may have come in contact with the victims.

    “We have fully deployed all our emergency medical response systems to instantly ensure full containment and management of the outbreak.

    “The government wishes to call on members of the public to be vigilant and report all suspected cases to the nearest medical facility in the state.

    “All those who had contact with the child, suspected to be the index case, and the medical practitioner who lost her life, should report to FMC Umuahia immediately for further review.

    “Drugs for treatment of Lassa Fever are available in the state in good quantities and there is no cause for panic as the disease can be successfully treated, especially if diagnosed early.

    “Members of the public are advised to ensure that they maintain clean and sanitary environment at all times.

    “Our hearts and prayers are with the families and friends of the two identified victims of this sad and unfortunate outbreak. May God be with them at this time and always.”

  • Doctor ‘dies’ of Lassa fever

    An unidentified doctor with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, Abia State, has reportedly died of Lassa Fever.

    It was gathered that she died at Irua Specialist Hospital, Esan Central, Edo State, where she was transferred for treatment.

    Hospital sources said the patients were worried.

    “The resident doctor was a new registrar in the paediatrics department. She treated a child at the children emergency ward and we are suspecting she got infected there,” a source said.

    Another source said the doctor started working at the hospital barely one month before the incident, adding that she fell sick and was admitted to the Slessor Private ward of FMC between March 29 and 30.

    She was transferred to Irua where the diagnosis was confirmed.

    She allegedly died a few days after admission.

    “Contact tracing and risk stratification are on. The hospital’s response team has been deployed.

    “The doctors, we learnt, are not happy with the development, and are calling on the management to do something about their safety at work or they may be forced to stop work until their safety is guaranteed,” another source said.

    Commissioner for Health Dr. John Ahukanna, his information counterpart John Okiyi and the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on health, Dr. Ikechukwu Nwabekee, could not be reached for comments.

     

  • Cholera, Lassa fever kill 14 in Bauchi —Commissioner

    BAUCHI State Commissioner for Health, Zuwaira Hassan, on Friday, confirmed that 14 people died in the state following outbreak of cholera and Lassa fever. Hassan made this known while briefing newsmen at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi during her visit to the cholera quarantine ward. According to her, nine people died as a result of cholera outbreak, while Lassa fever claimed five lives. She said “since the outbreak of these epidemics, we have had a total of 324 cases of cholera and recorded nine deaths. “Right now, the cholera isolation centre is active and we have about 26 patients on admission who are being treated.”

    On Lassa fever, Hassan said there were 44 suspected cases, nine confirmed cases, while five persons had been confirmed dead so far.

    She stressed the need for proper hygiene and urged residents to avoid open defecation, saying faeces in open places could pass and mix with drinking water which was dangerous to health. She said community volunteers were out on sensitisation to educate the people on hygiene and environmental sanitation, while the state Ministry of Health chlorinated water and decontaminated the environment.

  • FCT records fresh case of Lassa fever

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA ) says it has recorded a fresh case of Lassa fever in the territory, bringing the number of confirmed cases to three within three months.

    Dr Humphrey Okoroukwu, the Director of Public Health in the Health and Human Services Secretariat in FCT, disclosed this to our correspondent on Friday in Abuja.

    We recall that one of the two victims of the confirmed cases earlier recorded at Bwari Area Council of the FCT died sometime in January.

    Okoroukwu explained that the new confirmed case was recorded in Abuja Municipal Area Council and the patient was already recovering.

    “The new case was confirmed just last Wednesday and we thank God the patient is doing well in the hospital.

    “The patient reported early and the doctor’s alertness to detect the suspected case before confirmation in the laboratory has helped to manage the situation,” he said.

    The director urged residents of FCT not to panic over the development but to rather take their personal and environmental hygiene seriously.

    Okoroukwu urged the residents to imbibe the habit of regular washing of hands, keep their environment clean and dispose their domestic waste to avoid rats.

    He called on Nigerians to promptly report any suspected case of fever to the nearest hospital because fever was one of the symptoms of Lassa-fever.

    NAN