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| Lassa fever virus and health workers wearing HAZMAT suits. (Image source: telegraph.co.uk) |
One person has died of
Lassa fever at the National Hospital in Abuja, sending fears to residents of
the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). But the government allayed the fears but urged
the people to be vigilant.
The
Nation report continues:
Minister
of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole, who announced the latest casualty, said
yesterday that the death toll from the disease since its outbreak in August
2015 has increased to 43.
The
Abuja victim, according to the minister, came to the FCT from Plateau state.
The
minister charged health workers to be more vigilant and look out for symptoms
of the disease.
A
statement by the Federal Minstry of Health’s Director of Press Mrs. Boade
Akinola on behalf of the minister, said: “The Minister of Health, Professor
Isaac Adewole, has announced the death of one confirmed Lassa fever victim at
the National Hospital in Abuja.
“The
Minister who made the announcement at the National Hospital also called on
health workers at all levels to be more vigilant and look out for patients with
symptoms of Lassa fever.
“The
Minister has directed that all primary and secondary contacts of the victim
should be tracked including the staff of the private hospital in Kubwa where
the deceased was first managed for one week and subsequently became unconscious
before the referral to the National Hospital.
“He
also advised that family members should report at the nearest hospital if
anyone has fever for more than two days.”
The
Minister, however, urged Abuja residents not to panic but to maintain high
level vigilance and present themselves for test if they feel unhealthy or they
feel symptoms of Lassa fever which include high fever, stooling, tiredness,
vomiting, etc., adding that self-medication should be avoided at this period.
The
Medical Director of the Hospital Dr Jack Momoh who briefed the Minister, said
the patient was brought in unconscious from a Private Hospital in Kubwa where
he was admitted for eight days.
The
33-year-old newly married, lived in Jos, Plateau State but came to see a family
member in Kubwa. He however died within 24 hours of admission at the
National Hospital.
The
House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Health, National
Centre for Disease Control and other relevant agencies to put more efforts in
containing and stamping out Lassa fever in Nigeria”.
The
Green Chamber, which also asked the ministry and agencies to put permanent
preventive measure in place, mandated its committees on Health Institutions and
Health Services to synergise and find an immediate solution to the festering
virus infection.
The
lawmakers also urged the Federal Government “to make available to the relevant
agencies adequate funding needed to tackle the Lassa fever outbreak as a matter
of urgency.
The
resolutions of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion under urgent
national importance by Hon. Chike Okafor, chairman, House Committee on Health
Services under the title: “Urgent need to stop the embarrassing outbreak of
Lassa fever virus in Nigeria and the need to step up the fight against further
spread and loss of lives”.
Lauding
the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health to contain the outbreak, Okafor
said there was the need to do more to check its spread.
The
motion was passed without dissent when Speaker Yakubu Dogara called for a voice
vote.
In
Minna, the Niger State capital, the Minister of Health, said the nation’s
breakdown of notification system was responsible for the high cases of Lassa
fever that have been recorded.
He
expressed dismay that government was not aware of the disease for months after
its outbreak, vowing to restore the notification system in a way that one
single disease or death would be noticed, even at the national level.
The
minister, who was in the state as part of a Nationwide Surveillance Assessment
and fact-finding exercise, said the Federal Government was not ready to find
fault, but to find out what went wrong and rectify it.
Adewole
said the disease has been brought under control and lauded the Niger State
government for been proactive in the handling the outbreak of the disease in
the state.
The
governor, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Ketso, called for
incorporation of traditional healthcare healers into the National Primary
Health Care delivery policy.
Nine
persons have been killed by the Lassa fever at the Irrua Specialist Teaching
Hospital in Edo State since November last year.
The
victims were said to have reported late to the hospital for treatment.
Many
of them died at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the hospital before their
ailments could be diagnose as Lassa fever.
A
Lassa fever patient died on Tuesday at the hospital and another whose case was
described as critical was admitted yesterday.
It
was gathered that one of the two patients admitted at the Isolation Ward is
responding to treatment.
Chief
Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Sylvanus Okogbenin, who spoke to
reporters yesterday, said the present Lassa fever cases were endemic in Edo
North.
Dr.
Sylvanus added that test and treatment for Lassa fever at the hospital was free
as the Federal Government has provided enough ribavirin vaccine.
He called for the building
of more treatment facilities in each of the geo-political zone for easy
diagnoses and treatment.
Nigeria’s
Capital, Abuja, Records Lassa Fever Death
Media
report that Federal Ministry of Health authorities have announced the death of
a Lassa fever victim in Abuja, the first fatality in the nation’s capital since
the latest outbreak in November 2015.
The
Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, made the announcement Wednesday
evening at the National Hospital, the press director, Boade Akinola, at the
health ministry, said in a statement.
The
medical director of the hospital, Jack Momoh, who briefed the minister, said
the patient was brought in unconscious from a private hospital in Kubwa, a
suburb of Abuja, where he had been admitted for eight days.
The
33-year-old newly married lived in Jos, Plateau State, but travelled to see a
family member in Kubwa because of his illness. He however died within 24 hours of
presentation at the National Hospital.
The
statement said the minister had directed that all primary and secondary
contacts of the victim, including the staff of the private hospital in Kubwa,
an Abuja suburb, where the deceased was first managed for one week before
referral to National Hospital, be tracked.
He
also advised that family members should report at the nearest hospital if
anyone has fever for more than two days.
The
minister, however called on the residents of Abuja not to panic but to maintain
high level vigilance and present themselves for test if they feel unhealthy or
they feel symptoms of Lassa fever which include high fever, stooling,
tiredness, vomiting, etc., adding that self-medication should be avoided at
this period.
The
latest death from Lassa fever brings the total number of deaths to 43 in the
country (from 10 states).
The
government said on Tuesday that Lassa fever, an acute viral illness, had
claimed 41 lives from 93 reported cases in 10 states of the country.
The
first case of the current outbreak was reported from Bauchi in November 2015.
Prof
Adewole said at a news conference on Tuesday that the government had raised a
four-man expert committee, chaired by Michael Asuzu, a professor, to visit
Kano, Niger and Bauchi, the three most endemic states.
“The
committee will embark on a fact finding mission, assess the current situation,
document response experiences, identify gaps and proffer recommendations on how
to prevent future occurrences,” Prof Adewole said.
The
minister assured the public the task of the committee was not to apportion
blame but rather to document lessons learnt for better planning of an affective
responsive.
According
to Prof Adewole, part of the long term response is to establish an
inter-ministerial committee to deliver a final blow on Lassa fever and other
related diseases.
The
committee comprises the ministers of Education, Agriculture and Natural
Resources, Environment, Information and Culture as well as Health.
He
advised communities to improve on their hygiene, including food hygiene and
food protection practices.
He
also urged the public to avoid contact with rodents as well as food
contaminated with rat’s secretions and excretions.
According
to him, the affected states are Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers,
Edo, Plateau, Gombe and Oyo.
“The
public is hereby assured that government and other stakeholders are working
tirelessly to address the outbreak and bring it to timely end,” said the
minister.
He
said the ministry had ordered for the immediate release of adequate quantities
of “ribavirin”, the specific antiviral drug for Lassa fever, to the affected
states for prompt treatment of cases.
Adewole said Nigeria
had the capability to diagnose Lassa fever, adding that “all the cases reported
so far were confirmed by our laboratories”.
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