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Nigeria. Suspected outbreak of Lassa Fever (2/26/2009) [RSOE EDIS]
Afresh outbreak of Lassa Fever may have claimed not less than seven lives at the National Hospital, Abuja.
The disease had claimed the lives of four of the five patients referred to the hospital for treatment about two weeks ago. Yesterday, however, the House of Representatives adopted a motion calling for emergency action on the outbreak of lassa fever and meningities in about ten states in the country.
The call for the emergency action was sequel to a motion on the floor of the House by Hon. Patrick Ikhariale and 65 other lawmakers expressing dismay that the two diseases have been ravaging over ten states with over 300 casualties including five medical doctors who reportedly died in the cause of treating patients struck down by lassa fever.
Ikhariale in the motion explained that empirical evidence had shown that lassa fever and meningities had been spreading due to widespread ignorance among the populace, illiteracy, poor personal hygiene coupled with the absence of community-based detection, warning and diagnosis centres. The sponsors of the motion therefore called for an urgent action to reverse the trend.
The casualties from the disease included some hospital workers and doctors, an upsurge of which is said to be traceable to the infections from those earlier referred to the hospital. The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, however, said there had been no fresh outbreak of the disease. But a source at the National Hospital, Abuja insists that there was a fresh outbreak of the disease while there is an official conspiracy to cover it.
The source, who is a doctor in the hospital, many workers in the hospital had been infected and there were worries that many more would still be infected.He said it was difficult to curtail the spread because of the difficulty in diagnosing the disease as there are only two diagnostic centres in Nigeria - Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and another one in Irua in Edo state.
The source also said National Hospital,Abuja lacks adequate protective wears, which makes many medical workers vulnerable to the disease. But the authorities of the National Hospital have denied that there was any fresh outbreak of Lassa fever. The Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Mr. Sadiq, said he was not aware of such outbreak. The consultant physician and focal person in charge of Lassa-Fever infection at the National Hospital, Abuja Dr ( Mrs) Ogugua Osi-Ogbu, however, confirmed yesterday that four deaths have so far been recorded with several others including hospital workers contacting the disease.
She said the outbreak, which occurred about three weeks ago is often common during the dry season period of bush burning where rats displaced from their habitat find their ways into homes where they transmit the disease either when they are killed for food or pass excreta or urine on human utensils or kitchen wares. According to her, detecting the disease is usually difficult as the symptoms manifest just like any other fever with reddish eyes, nose bleeding, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, among other symptoms. She further said the disease could be transmitted from human to human through body fluid.
Osi-Ogbu said the hospital is currently faced with the challenge of getting the needed supplies like protective wares and drugs, among others. It is the absence of these protectives she said, that might have led to some staff of the hospital contacting the disease. She advised patients to seek medical treatment as soon as they observe these symptoms, as late report to the hospital may prove fatal.
The Director, FCT Public Health Department, Dr. (Mrs) Folashade Momoh, also confirmed that five cases of Lassa Fever had been documented at the National Hospital, Abuja. Momoh also confirmed that one of the cases was initially managed at the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) clinic before it was referred to the National Hospital. She would not, however, confirm if there was any death, but said the FCT was doing its best to sensitize the citizenry on the disease through an alert.
But THISDAY gathered that some medical personnel at the NIA clinic may have been infected with the disease because of the contact they had with the patient that was initially treated at the hospital, but later referred to the National Hospital. Special Adviser (Media) to the FCT Minister, Mr. Diran Onifade, on his part, disclosed that the outbreak of Lassa fever in the territory was brought to the notice of the FCT Administration on Monday.
He said the FCT Council deliberated on the issue at its Monday meeting and directed the health secretariat to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that the spread of the disease was curtailed. Onifade said money was released for the procurement of drugs to treat those already infected, while the health secretariat has embarked on public awareness and enlightenment campaigns at educating people on the transmission and prevention of the disease.)
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<cite cite="http://visz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?cid=20648&lang=eng">RSOE EDIS</cite>
The disease had claimed the lives of four of the five patients referred to the hospital for treatment about two weeks ago. Yesterday, however, the House of Representatives adopted a motion calling for emergency action on the outbreak of lassa fever and meningities in about ten states in the country.
The call for the emergency action was sequel to a motion on the floor of the House by Hon. Patrick Ikhariale and 65 other lawmakers expressing dismay that the two diseases have been ravaging over ten states with over 300 casualties including five medical doctors who reportedly died in the cause of treating patients struck down by lassa fever.
Ikhariale in the motion explained that empirical evidence had shown that lassa fever and meningities had been spreading due to widespread ignorance among the populace, illiteracy, poor personal hygiene coupled with the absence of community-based detection, warning and diagnosis centres. The sponsors of the motion therefore called for an urgent action to reverse the trend.
The casualties from the disease included some hospital workers and doctors, an upsurge of which is said to be traceable to the infections from those earlier referred to the hospital. The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, however, said there had been no fresh outbreak of the disease. But a source at the National Hospital, Abuja insists that there was a fresh outbreak of the disease while there is an official conspiracy to cover it.
The source, who is a doctor in the hospital, many workers in the hospital had been infected and there were worries that many more would still be infected.He said it was difficult to curtail the spread because of the difficulty in diagnosing the disease as there are only two diagnostic centres in Nigeria - Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and another one in Irua in Edo state.
The source also said National Hospital,Abuja lacks adequate protective wears, which makes many medical workers vulnerable to the disease. But the authorities of the National Hospital have denied that there was any fresh outbreak of Lassa fever. The Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Mr. Sadiq, said he was not aware of such outbreak. The consultant physician and focal person in charge of Lassa-Fever infection at the National Hospital, Abuja Dr ( Mrs) Ogugua Osi-Ogbu, however, confirmed yesterday that four deaths have so far been recorded with several others including hospital workers contacting the disease.
She said the outbreak, which occurred about three weeks ago is often common during the dry season period of bush burning where rats displaced from their habitat find their ways into homes where they transmit the disease either when they are killed for food or pass excreta or urine on human utensils or kitchen wares. According to her, detecting the disease is usually difficult as the symptoms manifest just like any other fever with reddish eyes, nose bleeding, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, among other symptoms. She further said the disease could be transmitted from human to human through body fluid.
Osi-Ogbu said the hospital is currently faced with the challenge of getting the needed supplies like protective wares and drugs, among others. It is the absence of these protectives she said, that might have led to some staff of the hospital contacting the disease. She advised patients to seek medical treatment as soon as they observe these symptoms, as late report to the hospital may prove fatal.
The Director, FCT Public Health Department, Dr. (Mrs) Folashade Momoh, also confirmed that five cases of Lassa Fever had been documented at the National Hospital, Abuja. Momoh also confirmed that one of the cases was initially managed at the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) clinic before it was referred to the National Hospital. She would not, however, confirm if there was any death, but said the FCT was doing its best to sensitize the citizenry on the disease through an alert.
But THISDAY gathered that some medical personnel at the NIA clinic may have been infected with the disease because of the contact they had with the patient that was initially treated at the hospital, but later referred to the National Hospital. Special Adviser (Media) to the FCT Minister, Mr. Diran Onifade, on his part, disclosed that the outbreak of Lassa fever in the territory was brought to the notice of the FCT Administration on Monday.
He said the FCT Council deliberated on the issue at its Monday meeting and directed the health secretariat to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that the spread of the disease was curtailed. Onifade said money was released for the procurement of drugs to treat those already infected, while the health secretariat has embarked on public awareness and enlightenment campaigns at educating people on the transmission and prevention of the disease.)
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