Nigerian 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, 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 24hours 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 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.
Mr. 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,” Mr. Adewole, a professor, 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 Mr. 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.
Mr. 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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