Prof Isaac Adewole
|
The Federal Government
has put the number of reported cases of Lassa Fever outbreak in eight states at
76 with 35 deaths already recorded and 14 cases confirmed by laboratories. The government, which
said measures had been put in place to curtail further spread and reduce
mortality among those affected, however, ruled out placing travel restrictions
from and to areas currently affected.
The Punch report continues:
The
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who stated this in a statement he
issued on Wednesday in Abuja, in response to the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the
country, added that “the World Health Organization is being notified of the
cases confirmed.”
According
to him, Nigeria has been experiencing Lassa fever outbreak in the past six
weeks in Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Edo and Oyo states.
“The
Nigerian government will continue to enhance its surveillance and social health
education, information and communication
activities to prevent the disease from spreading further in Nigeria
and I wish to call for the support and understanding of Nigerians, “ the
minister said.
He
added, “The total number of suspected cases so far reported is 76 with 35
deaths, and a Case Fatality Rate of 46 per cent. Our laboratories have
confirmed 14 cases, indicative of a new episode of Lassa fever outbreak.”
The
first case of the current outbreak was reported from Bauchi State in November
2015, followed by cases reported by Kano State and subsequently the other six
states.
Adewole
added that in response to the reported outbreak, the Federal Government had
taken some drastic measures to curtail further spread and reduce mortality.
The
measures, he said, included immediate release of adequate quantities of
ribavirin, the specific antiviral drug for Lassa Fever to all the affected
states for prompt and adequate treatment of cases; and deployment of rapid
response teams from the Federal Health Ministry to all the affected states to
assist in investigating and verifying the cases and tracing of contacts.
The
minister also said clinicians and relevant healthcare workers had been sensitized
and mobilized in areas of patient management and care in the affected states,
while
“affected
states have been advised to intensify awareness creation on the signs and
symptoms and general hygiene.”
“Furthermore,
it is important to note that Nigeria has the capability to diagnose Lassa Fever
and all the cases reported so far were confirmed by our laboratories. However,
because the symptoms of Lassa Fever are so varied and non-specific, clinical
diagnosis is often difficult, especially early in the course of the disease,”
Adewole stressed.
The
minister added that in view of the steps so far taken, he had directed that all
health facilities in the country should emphasize routine infection prevention
and control measures and ensure all patients were treated free.
He
said, “Family members and healthcare workers are advised to always be careful
to avoid contact with blood and body fluids while caring for sick persons. No
travel restrictions will be imposed from and to areas currently affected.
“Healthcare
workers seeing a patient suspected to have Lassa Fever should immediately
contact the epidemiologist in the State Ministry of Health or call the Federal
Ministry of Health using the following numbers: 08093810105, 08163215251,
08031571667 and 08135050005.
While
expressing gratitude to the WHO and other partners for their support so far,
Adewole said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control “is already coordinating
all our response activities and reporting to me on a daily basis.”
Lassa
Fever is an acute febrile illness with bleeding and death in severe cases,
caused by the Lassa Fever virus with an incubation period of six to 21 days.
About
80 per cent of human infections are asymptomatic, the remaining cases have
severe multi-system disease, where the virus affects
several organs in the body, such as the
liver, spleen and kidneys.
The
onset of the disease is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness,
and malaise followed by headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and bleeding
from mouth, nose, vagina or
gastro-intestinal tract, and low blood pressure.
The reservoir or host of
the Lassa virus is the “multi-mammate rat” called Mastomys natalensis which has many breasts and lives in the bush
and peri-residential areas.
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