The Nation Newspaper

Tag: symptoms

  • Slave trade: Treating the symptoms

    Slave trade: Treating the symptoms

    The painful reality of self-made journey into slavery and its consequent harvest and trade in body parts of some of our compatriots has taken frightening dimension. The mass exodus of these able bodied youths through hazardous desert routes and tempestuous seas is a failure of epic proportion of the political leadership across most African countries. To find justification for the exodus in the arcane argument that our ancestors’ labour developed Europe, while the Europeans through colonialism and neo-colonialism underdeveloped Africa is an idle argument and shadow chasing. The historical facts of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is not lost to us but it would amount to mental laziness to say we are where we are today because of the  epochal injustice of slave trade of centuries ago.

    As if jolted from deep slumber, our leaders have suddenly realized that many Nigerians are in distress in Libya and indeed other countries of the world in dehumanizing conditions.  I was amazed at the histrionics of the upper legislative house directing the President and Federal Executive Council to intervene fast because they feel for the poor marooned Nigerians in Libya. Nobody is as much concerned as to why our compatriots would rather live as refugees and slaves in other countries than stay in Nigeria in despondency.

    These misguided youths are running away because of poor governance.  They are running away because our political leaders are feeding fat on the wealth of the nation and are not willing to give back to the society.  They are running away because our once decrepit infrastructures have finally collapsed and life has become agonisingly unbearable.  They are running away because of unemployment and the government is doing very little to create the enabling environment for them to eke out a living.  They are running away because their parents who once had opportunity of serving the nation are not paid their retirement benefits and pensions; and they watch them helplessly age in pain.  They are running away because the few opportunities that would have offered succour in constructions industries are contracted out to Chinese firms who bring expatriates to do even the most basic jobs leaving our people with the short end of the stick.

    The youths are running away because our leaders are playing politics with their future; using them as touts, bodyguards and rigging machines during elections.  They are running away because of the collapse of the social support system that the family used to offer which are no longer sustainable. Parents and relatives who contribute their life savings in order to send their loved ones abroad to bring ‘Dollars’  are complicit in the so-called slave trade. Everybody wants to make it fast. There is hardly any of those youths stranded in Libya who had invested less than US$1000 on this misadventure.  A thousand dollars can start a modest business in any economy in any African state bad as it might appear to be.

    Those African youths stranded in Libya are not migrants; they are refugees fleeing from wars, poverty, poor governance and waste caused by our political leaders.  Migration is a necessary human phenomenon for self-actualization.

    It is legitimate to migrate from one geographical location to another; and one does not have to use illegal routes and back channels.  Migration is as old as recorded human history.  The Holy Bible recorded Abram the father of faith to have left his home land and country when he was 75 years old.  Abram was a skilled herdsman; what skill do the youths running away from Africa to Europe have to earn decent living?  In their delusion, these youths feel that Europe as a land of opportunities would embrace them with both hands.  Little did they know that there is also poverty in Europe and America and nobody plucks dollars from trees.

    The youths prefer to brace the hazardous desert routes and tempestuous seas and possibly die trying to go to Europe than to remain in Nigeria where they do not see any hope.  It did not end there; some of them trade their organs which are harvested for sale in hospitals across the Atlantic; that is how bad it can be.

    Unemployment is not going to stop suddenly, not even with the political talks and empty electoral promises.  To get out of unemployment, we have to seriously interrogate our educational system which is not functional enough to produce skilful work force.

    To save our compatriots from needless death in this hazardous journey, the government should not focus on the symptoms but go to the root of the problems.  We should stop blaming others for our failures; Libyan government did not give invitation to our youths who in the first place constitute socio-economic problems to them.  The government needs to direct energy on human capital development.  We should honestly and genuinely tackle corruption which is at the root of why we cannot deal with infrastructural deficit in our country.   For the youths, they need not vote with their legs; they should vote with their heads and thumb prints for people capable of offering services and not merchants in government.  This country belongs to the youths and they are the only ones who can bring about the desired change.

    It is time to ignore the ethnic and religious refrains which the ruling class has perpetually used to divide the people.  Those in leadership over us have no religion and tribe.  They are from the North, South, East and West and work in tandem for their common good. Come back home my compatriots; north or south, east or west, home is the best. For our leaders, please, go to the root cause of the disease and not the symptoms.

     

    • Kebonkwu Esq is an Abuja-based attorney.

  • Symptoms, treatment and prevention

    Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease caused by a Plasmodium parasite. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of the Anopheles (female) mosquito.

    Once an infected mosquito bites a human, the parasites multiply in the host’s liver before infecting and destroying red blood cells.

    In some places, malaria can be treated and controlled with early diagnosis. However, some countries lack the resources to do this effectively. It was eliminated from the U.S. in the early 1950s, but between 1,500 and 2,000 cases still occur every year, mostly in those who have recently travelled to malaria-endemic areas.

    There are five parasite species that cause malaria in humans, and two of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat. The P. falciparum – the most prevalent malaria parasite in Africa, is responsible for most malaria-related deaths globally. P. vivax is the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of the sub-Saharan Africa.

  • Monkeypox: Transmission, symptoms, Prevention

    Monkeypox: Transmission, symptoms, Prevention

    Just like the news of Ebola, Monkeypox is here and it is spreading very fast. Risk factors include animal bites and scratches from infected animals (mainly African rodents or monkeys) or from other rodents that have had contact with  animals infected with the virus. People should avoid eating any meat from such animals is advised. Recent studies have shown that several species of mammals can be infected with monkeypox, even though the species had never been associated with the virus in their normal environment.

    Transmission
    monkeypox virus can be transmitted when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human, or materials contaminated with the virus.

    The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth). Animal-to-human transmission may occur by bite or scratch, bush meat preparation, direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, or indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated bedding.

    Human-to-human transmission is thought to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets generally cannot travel more than a few feet, so prolonged face-to-face contact is required.

    Other human-to-human methods of transmission include direct contact with body fluids or lesion material, and indirect contact with lesion material, such as through contaminated clothing or linens.

    Symptoms

    In humans, the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to but milder than the symptoms of smallpox. Monkeypox begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion
    The illness begins with:
    • Fever
    • Headache
    • Muscle aches
    • Backache
    • Swollen lymph nodes
    • Chills
    • Exhaustion
    Within 1 to 3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body.

    Prevention
    There are number of measures that can be taken to prevent infection with monkeypox virus:
    • Avoid contact with animals that could harbor the virus (including animals that are sick or that have been found dead in areas where monkeypox occurs).
    • Avoid contact with any materials, such as bedding, that has been in contact with a sick animal.
    • Isolate infected patients from others who could be at risk for infection.
    • Practice good hand hygiene after contact with infected animals or humans. For example, washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

     

  • LASSA FEVER: symptoms, prevention, treatment

    LASSA FEVER: symptoms, prevention, treatment

    According to Dr. Ejike Orji, a virologist and immediate past chairman of the Guild of Medical Directors, Abuja, Lassa fever is asymptomatic   and the process of detecting the virus is complicated. The incubation period is about 6 to 21 days.

    “The virus is very acute and can affect all the organs of the body.  Carriers might be complaining of fever, muscle pain, fatigue and occasionally muscle swelling. They could also complain that their eyes are red and that is because of itching since Lassa causes haemorrhagic fever”.

    Speaking further, Dr Orji said because of the haemorrhagic nature of the virus, it can also affect the gastrointestinal tracts so much so that an affected person might present with cases of nausea and vomiting which may be bloody. He added that apart from a bloody diarrhoea which an infected person is likely to come up with, there might also be some forms of stomach pains and even constipation.  There could also be  evidence of hepatitis.

    Also, Lassa fever can affect the cardiovascular system as it might lead to hypertension or hypotension, causing the blood pressure to be high or low and the victim would have abnormal high range.  Another grim picture of the virus is that the brain is not spared.  Lassa fever can affect the brain or the nervous system and it might mimic meningitis.

    “The respiratory system is also at risk as an infected person can also come down with cough, chest pain and difficulty in breathing”, Dr Orji added.

     

    Treatment

    Being a haemorrhagic fever which is viral in nature, the Lassa virus is diagnosed by doing a laboratory test in a test centre.

    Dr.  Orji said the first step in the treatment of a carrier of the virus is admitting and isolating the person, while also ensuring that the patient’s body fluid and excreta are properly disposed in order to prevent the spread.

    “For people to have a chance of survival, there must be early and aggressive treatment with a drug called ribavirin and of course the normal treatment you give to patients. There is also a drug we call interferon which can boost the immune system.

    “The normal treatment for people who have such viral infection is you must make sure you test the person and ensure the patient has enough (intravenous) fluids.  Also if the person has bled so much, there might be need for some level of transfusion.”

     

    Prevention

    Being a viral infection, which can be easily spread, medical practitioners have always harped on prevention as the best form of treatment.  Preventive measures in this regard refer to making efforts to control the rat population around the house, while also ensuring that no food is exposed to rodents since the urine and body fluid of rodents are the key things which cause Lassa fever transmission.

    “Some people eat rats; those people should be discouraged because transmission could happen when it is being prepared. It is just like we told people not to eat bats and bush meat during the Ebola period so people must make sure that they prevent contacts with rats and then they should cover their food very well”.

    For those who also like to gulp down canned drinks without running a careful check, there could also be a grim picture as using a tissue paper to clean the opening  is not enough to safeguard against the virus. For it to be safe for drinking, there would be need to use soap and water, the medic added.

    “I always tell people not to drink directly from a canned drink.  It can be dangerous because you don’t know whether rodents have urinated on them in the process of storage.  It is important that we use soap and water to clean the openings of those things before they are served to people”, Dr Orji submitted.

    He added that another  way of treating the virus is to get a person who has survived it since the anti-body can be used to treat someone that has the disease.

    Dr Lazarus Eze
    Dr Lazarus Eze

    Also commenting on the issue, Dr Lazurus Eze, an Abuja-based public health physician,   canvassed for government to ensure a safer environment by ensuring a timely and regular waste disposal  and management in order to curb the spread of the virus.

    For him, Lassa fever can be prevented by keeping a clean environment and practising good personal hygiene. He harped on the need for individuals to ensure proper refuse disposal and avoid dumping of refuse in drainages and indiscriminately.

    “Lassa Fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by multimammates rats (Mastomy natalensis). The rats may transmit the virus to our uncooked food. Government at all levels should provide leadership and coordinate efforts to prevent further spread of Lassa fever. Health education at the community level, behavioural change, communication and proper waste management are effective primary prevention measures,” he asserted.

    Furthering, Dr Eze called on government at all levels to provide leadership and coordinate efforts to prevent further spread of Lassa fever.

    “Health education at the community level, behavioural change, communication and proper waste management are effective primary prevention measures”, Dr Eze said.

     

    Measures for health care workers

    Both medical practitioners also harped on the need for health workers treating the virus to be careful by observing universal precautionary methods and treating every fever with suspicion.

    “We know that in Nigeria, a lot of illnesses are due to Malaria, but now we have had Ebola and now we have Lassa so any health care personnel should manage feverish conditions with a lot of suspicion and maintain all universal precautions in terms of protecting themselves and then the other thing is making sure the patient is properly isolated, said Dr Orji.

    Dr Eze on his own part urged that personal protective equipment must be provided for health workers who are expected to observe universal precautions and best practices.

     

    Lassa fever and garri consumption

    Speaking on the likelihood of being infected with the virus through garri, fruits and other uncooked food items, Prof Oyewole Tomori, a former regional virologist for the World Health Organisation (WHO) and president of the Nigeria Academy of Science, confirmed that any food eaten raw or uncooked and contaminated with urine, blood, etc of a Lassa virus infected rodents can be a source of infection.

    “Our food can get contaminated and if you eat without cooking, the possibility of getting infected is high. Once you cook the food items, you destroy the virus, so people smoking garri and all those kind of things are at risk. If the rodents urinate on the fruits and you pick up banana or carrot and you just start chewing it without washing, that could be dangerous, so it boils down to hygiene and cleanliness”.

  • Signs, symptoms of prostate cancer

    Signs, symptoms of prostate cancer

    A consultant in Urology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Habeeb Tijani, tells OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA some of the basic signs and symptoms of prostate cancer.

    Prostate cancer is cancer that occurs in a man’s prostate. Prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.

    Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men. Prostate cancer usually grows slowly and initially remains confined to the prostate gland, where it may not cause serious harm. While some types of prostate cancer grow slowly and may need minimal or no treatment, other types are aggressive and can spread quickly.

    Prostate cancer that is detected early i.e. when it is still confined to the prostate gland has a better chance of successful treatment.

    But then how can one identify the symptoms or watch out for the signs in men aged 40 and above?

    According to Dr Habeeb Tijani, a Consultant Urologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, in most cases, prostate cancer symptoms are not apparent in the early stages of the disease.

    He said the symptoms of prostate cancer vary from each man to another and any one of them  may be caused by other conditions.

    Dr Tijani said: “As a result, routine screenings in the form of digital rectal exams (DRE) and prostate specific androgen (PSA) tests are important. Prostate cancer may not cause signs or symptoms in its early stages. Prostate cancer that is more advanced may cause signs and symptoms such as troubled urinating; decreased force in the stream of urine; blood in the urine; blood in the semen; general pain in the lower back, hips or thighs; discomfort in the pelvic area; bone pain and Erectile dysfunction (ED).”

    Dr Tijani said: “It is good to make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you. There is debate regarding the risks and benefits of screening for prostate cancer, and medical organisations differ on their recommendations. Discuss prostate cancer screening with your doctor. Together, you can decide what’s best for you.

    “This is because in most cases, prostate cancer symptoms are not apparent in the early stages of the disease. The symptoms of prostate cancer may be different for each man and any one of these symptoms may be caused by other conditions. As a result, routine screenings in the form of digital rectal exams (DRE) and prostate specific androgen (PSA) tests are important. Routine screening is less than N10, 000.   But the hospital is looking at bring it down.”

  • Liberian with Ebola-like symptoms dies in Lagos

    Liberian with Ebola-like symptoms dies in Lagos

    The  Liberian who was  hospitalised in Lagos for suspected  Ebola virus has  died, the Lagos State government announced  yesterday.

    The  Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris,his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina and the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Mr. Raji Lateef  confirmed to reporters that  the Lberian, Patrick Sawyer, 40, tested positive to Ebola virus disease in the test conducted in the country.

    He was a consultant to his country’s ministry of finace.

    He arrived in Nigeria  on Sunday and was admitted to hospital after suffering from severe vomiting and diarrhoea.

    He was subsequently quarantined   because his symptoms were associated with the virus which has killed more than 650 people across West Africa in recent months, the worst-ever outbreak since Ebola first emerged in 1976.

    Dr.Idris  said the immediate task before government now is now to dispose of the body ‘properly’  and identify  and treat everyone  who had  contact with the deceased.

    He said: ”There is  protocol.The people involved, we are talking with the hospital involved, the staff  over there.After dealing with the body we have to deal with the hospital, to sanitize the hospital, more importantly too there is the need for us to do contact tracing. We are doing that with the World Health Organization people .We are going to trace all the contacts that the man came in with on the air plane ,where they went to.

    “ Since we have got the manifest , we are going to trace all of them .Ech one of them is going to be questioned.There is protocol for questioning  and they are going to be followed in the next 21 days to see if any one of them develops  any symptom.This is what we are in the process of doing. “

    He said appropriate personnel have been deployed at the borders, seaports and  airports in Lagos with a view to ensuring that infected people are not allowed to spread the virus.

    Idris urged Lagos residents not to panic over the situation, saying treatment centers will be set up to deal with possible spread of the disease.

    Liberia has recorded 172 cases of the disease, including 105 deaths, since the outbreak began.

    Experts say that limiting the spread of the virus in a chaotic mega-city like Lagos  poses added complications compared to infections in more rural areas.

    Ebola is believed to be carried by animals hunted for meat, notably bats.

    It spreads among humans via bodily fluids including sweat, meaning you can get sick from simply touching an infected person.

    With no vaccine, patients believed to have caught the virus must be isolated to prevent further contagion.

    In Sierra Leone, officials yesterday appealed for help to trace the first known resident in the capital with Ebola whose family forcibly removed her from a Freetown hospital after testing positive for the deadly disease.

    Radio stations in Freetown, a city of around 1 million inhabitants, broadcast the appeal to locate a woman who tested positive for the disease that has killed 660 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since an outbreak was first identified in February.

    “Saudatu Koroma of 25 Old Railway Line, Brima Lane, Wellington,” the announcement said. “She is a positive case and her being out there is a risk to all. We need the public to help us locate her.”

    Koroma, 32, a resident of the densely populated Wellington neighbourhood, had been admitted to an isolation ward while blood samples were tested for the virus, Health ministry spokesman Sidi Yahya Tunis. The results came back on Thursday.

    “The family of the patient stormed the hospital and forcefully removed her and took her away,” Tunis said. “We are searching for her.”

    Fighting one of the world’s deadliest diseases is straining the region’s weak health systems, while a lack of information and suspicion of medical staff has led many to shun treatment.

    Earlier this year, a man in Freetown tested positive for Ebola although he is believed to have caught it elsewhere.

    According to health ministry data and officials, dozens of people confirmed by laboratory tests to have Ebola are now unaccounted for in Sierra Leone, where the majority of cases have been recorded in the country’s east.

    While international medical organisations have deployed experts to the field in an attempt to contain the outbreak, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said poor health infrastructure and a lack of manpower were hindering their efforts.

    “We’re seeing many of these facilities simply don’t have enough people to provide the constant level of care needed,” WHO spokesman Paul Garwood told a news briefing in Geneva on Friday.

    There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, which causes diarrhoea, vomiting and internal and external bleeding. It can kill up to 90 percent of those infected, although the mortality rate of the current outbreak is around 60 percent.

    The West African outbreak is the first time that Ebola, which was first discovered in what is now Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976, has appeared in heavily populated urban areas and international travel hubs.

    Cases have already been confirmed in Conakry and Monrovia, the capital cities of Guinea and Liberia.

    The Nigeria Medical Association, (NMA) Lagos Chapter, yesterday offered to partner the Lagos State government on the suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease to prevent an outbreak.

    Its chairman, Dr Tayo Ojo ,speaking  at the inaugural briefing of the newly elected executives of the association in Lagos said the association owes it a duty ensure that the state is free of the virus.

    But he advised the public  to imbibe environmental and personal hygiene culture.