Strange Illness Hits Lagos, Kills 20 Kids; Lagos Traces Children’s Death To Febrile Rash Illness

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris

*34 cases under examination *We’ll fight outbreak, says health Commissioner

An outbreak febrile rash illnesses (FRI) has been recorded in Otodo Gbame community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State,leaving at least 20 kids dead.

The Nation report continues:

Thirty-four other cases are currently under examination, Health Commissioner Jide Idris announced yesterday.

The outbreak was first identified by the Medical Officer of Health of the LGA on the 9th February, he said.

The victims are said to be within the age range of eight and 72 months.

Dr Idris said his ministry has already notified the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on the situation.

It has also constituted a team of Epidemiologists to investigate the outbreak and institute appropriate measures to prevent further spread of the disease.

But he said although the disease causing the outbreak is yet to be confirmed, “the signs and symptoms are suggestive of Febrile Rash Illnesses.”

He added: “Blood samples (and throat swabs) from the patients and water samples from the community have been taken to the Virology Reference Laboratory at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Lagos State Drug Quality Control Laboratory (DQCL), LASUTH, Ikeja respectively. The source of the infection is still under investigation.”

Otodo Gbame community, according to Idris is an expansive, sandy riverine, flood prone and camp-lie settlements with an estimated population of 100,000 people.

“The people are mainly Egun, however there are other tribes in the minority. The community is a slum with waste deposited at different spots. There are many scattered shallow wells in the community. The water from the wells is found to be used mostly for bathing, washing and cooking. Majority of the citizen claimed it is not used for drinking but a few said they sometimes drink from the well. The community head Chief Hunpe Dansu confirmed the outbreak of the Febrile Rash illnesses.”

The government is said to be intensifying efforts to conduct mapping of all slums and blighted areas in the state towards reducing the health hazards associated with such areas.

He enjoined the people to join hands with the government in the identification of slums and in ensuring environmental sanitation at all times. And members of the public and health workers are to report any strange illness to the nearest health facility or call the following lines- 08037170614, 08055281442 and 08023169485.

Lagos Traces Children’s Death To Febrile Rash Illness

The Punch reports that the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, has identified febrile rash illness as the probable cause of death of 25 children in Otodo Gbame community in Eti-osa Local Government Area of the state.

Idris, who disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, said the cause of death had yet to be confirmed as the government was still expecting results of the blood and water samples sent to the Virology Reference Laboratory at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba and the Lagos State Drug Quality Control Laboratory, Ikeja respectively.

He, however, noted that preliminary investigations suggest that the children might have died of febrile rash illness.

He explained that the information gathered by the ministry stated that about 24 of the 34 children died of the disease.

Idris said, “The ministry drew up a plan to investigate the outbreak, verify reported deaths and report findings and recommendations. The disease causing the outbreak has yet to be confirmed. However, the signs and symptoms are suggestive of febrile rash illnesses. We are awaiting the results from the two laboratories.

“We have notified the World Health Organization and the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja and a team of epidemiologists have done investigations and appropriate measures have been instituted to prevent further spread of the disease.”

The commissioner said that the ministry would dialogue with residents of the community to build confidence and guarantee the safety of their children by providing a befitting health centre.

Idris also urged Lagos residents to immunize their children against vaccine-preventable diseases.