Lassa Fever hits Ekiti, one index case recorded

VANGUARD

 NEWS BY ABIODUN ALADE

Ado Ekiti—There was anxiety in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday, as a patient on admission at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti was tested positive to Lassa fever.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Olurotimi Ojo, who made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti, at an awareness forum on Lassa fever, said the patient is currently being isolated at the hospital, while efforts are being made by experts to ensure the patient survives.

Dr Ojo explained that he got the report from the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Lawrence Ayodele, who confirmed that the patient was a student of the School of Nursing, a training arm of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti.

The commissioner said the patient was first treated   for malaria and typhoid fever with high profile antibiotics, without responding to treatment .

He added that the situation had given room to suspicion and further diagnostic steps, where the patient was said to have been tested positive to the virus.

He said: “Over the weekend, the state had confirmed a case of Lassa fever that is being managed at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti. The patient is stable and had commenced treatment. Immediately the patient was diagnosed and confirmed, the management began the process of contact tracing. Once you have an index case, there is tendency of having a primary case and possible spread and this could be dangerous. Though, the doctors are handling the situation and monitoring the situation very closely . So, nobody has been quarantined after the contact tracing”.

Ojo added that the State government had already prepared an isolated ward within the premises of Oba Adejugbe General Hospital, Ado Ekiti, even before the outbreak of the disease in the state.

According to him, “The situation is being curtailed by the State government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation, through the office of the National Centre for Disease Control. The governor is also embarking on public and town-to-town sensitization about Lassa fever through the airing of jingles on the state broadcasting corporation   and distribution of IEC materials to the people”.

Meantime, the President of Nigerian Medical Association Dr. Kayode Obembe, has counselled the Federal Government on the need to make health insurance scheme compulsory for every Nigerian.