The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has announced the death of one confirmed Lassa fever victim at National Hospital Abuja.
Professor Adewole who made the announcement at the National Hospital Abuja today also called on Health workers at all levels to be more vigilant and look out for patients with symptoms of Lassa fever.
The Minister 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 referral to 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 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 Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Jack Momoh who briefed the Minister during his visit to National Hospital, said that the patient was brought in unconscious from a Private Hospital in Kubwa where he was admitted for 8 days.
According to the medical director, the 33 year old newly married lived in Jos Plateau but came to see a family member in Kubwa because of his illness. He however died within 24hours of presentation at the National Hospital.
The latest death from Lassa fever brings the total number of deaths to 43 in the country (from 10 states).
Meanwhile, as two persons lost their lives to Lassa fever in Kano and about 41 others in 11 states across the country, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has constituted a 22- man Task Force on Lassa Fever Response.
Inaugurating the Task Force, Governor Ganduje warned that because the disease is spread by rodents as a result of poor hygienic practices, it has become imperative for the people to pay more attention to personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.
Advising the people not to allow rodents feed on their foods, the governor stressed “the need for families to properly dispose food remnants and ensure that their kitchen utensils are kept clean always”.
Ganduje also urged the people to watch out for symptoms of the disease and to report any suspected Lassa fever case to the nearest health facility. He said government would place emphasis on advocacy and public enlightenment to ensure that Lassa fever no longer occurs in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabir Ibrahim Getso who disclosed that the two patients who died in the state as a result of the Lass epidemic were officially recorded in November, 2015 but both died on the 4th December of the same year.
Dr.Getso explained that the Lassa virus is carried by rats and spread to humans adding that the ailment could be spread from person to person through direct contact, adding that his ministry has designated a health facility at ‘Yargaya to handle Lassa Fever cases.
The commissioner added that the state government has also set aside hotlines to track the diseases, engaged in aggressive contact tracing of the deceased victims as well as embarked upon vigorous public enlighten campaigns through radio.
The illness reportedly was discovered in 1969 when two missionary nurses died in Nigeria. The virus is thus named after Lassa, a village in Borno State in the North East where the first cases occurred. [myad]
