Nigeria Lassa Fever 2013

[Ronan Kelly]

2012 thread - http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=180126

Lassa fever kills three in Benue
WEDNESDAY, 16 JANUARY 2013 00:00 FROM JOSEPH WANTU, MAKURDI

AT least three persons, including a medical doctor, were said to have died of Lassa fever at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Orduen Abunku, who disclosed this to journalists in Makurdi yesterday, said the deceased were referred to the teaching hospital from another hospital, maintaining that clinical suspicion indicated that the ailment might be Lassa fever.
...
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index...nal&Itemid=559

[Shiloh]

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/2013012...html?viewall=1

Nigeria: Lassa Fever - FG Releases 4,500 Doses of Drugs for Benue
By Peter Duru and Monsour Olowoopejo, 21 January 2013

The Federal Ministry of Health has released over 4,500 doses of both Ribavirin and Virazole tablets and intravenous drugs to the Benue State government to check further spread of the deadly Lassa fever epidemic which broke out in Makurdi, the Benue State capital last week...

[Ronan Kelly]

Nigeria: Lassa Fever Claims One in Lafia
BY HIR JOSEPH, 26 JANUARY 2013

Lafia — An out break of Lassa fever in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, which was confirmed last week, has led to the death of at least one person who shuttled between Nasarawa's two biggest health facilities in the frantic search for attention.

The second and third cases involving a couple was confirmed last Friday after diagnoses conducted on the victims by a team of epidemiologists at the Dalhatu Araf Specialists Hospital (DASH) in Lafia, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Ahmed Yakubu Ashiki, told Weekly Trust, yesterday.

The three victims including the deceased, Weekly Trust learnt, were neighbours in Tudun Gwandara, an over-populated and one of the dirtiest sections of the metropolis.
...
http://allafrica.com/stories/201301280466.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Nigeria: Lassa Fever Kills One in Plateau
BY LAMI SADIQ, 30 JANUARY 2013

Jos — At least one person has been confirmed dead and two others taken to hospital following the outbreak of Lassa fever in Kanke local government area of Plateau State.

State Commissioner for Health Dr. Fom Dakwak was quoted on Plateau State radio as confirming the outbreak of the disease and the death of one person. He said the two infected people are being treated at the Vom Christian Hospital in Jos South.
...
http://allafrica.com/stories/201301300558.html

[Catbird]

Lassa fever strikes again in Lafia

29 January 2013

"A child was taken to the Dalhatu Araf Specialists’ Hospital (DASH), in Lafia, at the weekend, following the spread of Lassa fever confirmed in the state capital, more than a week ago.

The killer disease was discovered at Tudun Gwandara an over-populated and one of the dirtiest sections of the metropolis of Lafia. Daily Trust gathered that one of the victims had exposed garri (a local cassava flakes), in the sun and given access to rats to urinate and contaminate the foodstuff with the Lassa virus.

So far, four victims all of them neighbours, contracted the disease.
Dr. Ahmed Yakubu Ashiki, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) at the state owned DASH, confirmed a fourth victim – the child – was rushed to the hospital, but added that the child’s case was still being confirmed because of the distance between Nasarawa State and Edo where the laboratory test is being carried out...".

[Catbird]

2nd death in Plateau, no known increase in case count.

2 Die Of Lassa Fever In Plateau

January 31, 2013

"Lassa fever has claimed the lives of two persons in Plateau, while two others are on admission, Dr. Fom Dakwak, the Commissioner for Health, has confirmed.

Dakwak told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos that the first victim, a woman, died at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, while the other, a man, died at the Vom Christian hospital.

“Two other persons are currently on admission at the Vom Christian Hospital and are responding to treatment,” he said.

According to him, the ministry has despatched epidemiologists to sensitise people in the COCIN Pastoral School, Kanke, where a student died of the disease sometime ago.

He said that two other victims of the disease in Kanke area were currently on admission...".

[Shiloh]

Source: http://nigeria.news24.com/National/N...bonyi-20130205


Lassa fever kills 2 in Ebonyi
05 February 2013, 18:31 -

Ebonyi - The Ebonyi government on Monday confirmed a fresh outbreak of Lassa fever, saying that two persons have died from the disease and four others on the danger list.

The Permanent Secretary in the state ministry of health, Mr Hyacinth Oteh, announced the development while receiving the health emergency response team from the Federal Ministry of Health.

Oteh said the outbreak of the disease was reported on Feb. 1 and confirmed that two of the six patients infected with the disease had died while the other four were critical...

[Ronan Kelly]

Nigeria: FG Donates Drugs to Tackle Lassa Fever in Nasarawa
BY NURUDDEEN M. ABDALLAH, NAZIFI DAWUD KHALID, ISMAIL MUDASHIR, AHMED MOHAMMED AND HIR JOSEPH, 6 FEBRUARY 2013

Kano/Kaduna/Bauchi/Lafia/Abuja — The Federal Government on Monday donated drugs to the Nasarawa State government to contain the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.

Our correspondent reports that the disease started at Tudun Gwandara, an over-populated settlement, and one of the dirtiest sections of the Lafia metropolis, about three weeks ago. Daily Trust gathered that the first victim died within the first week of the outbreak.

The donation was received by the Permanent Secretary of the state's Ministry of Health, Suleiman Muhammadu.
...
http://allafrica.com/stories/201302060743.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Nigeria: Benue Records Two More Cases of Lassa Fever
BY HOPE ABAH, 6 FEBRUARY 2013

Makurdi — Two children suspected to be suffering from Lassa fever have been admitted at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) in Makurdi, Benue State.

Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Abraham Malu, disclosed this while receiving drugs and other essential items from a team from the Federal Ministry of Health.

Malu said the children who are already responding to treatment are children of the medical doctor, who died a few weeks ago from the same disease.
...
http://allafrica.com/stories/201302060746.html

[Shiloh]

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201302080450.html

Nigeria: Fresh Outbreak of Lassa Fever
8 February 2013

A Lassa fever outbreak in Lafia, Nasarawa State, caused the death of at least one out of three infected persons. According to the Chief Medical Director of the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia, Dr Ahmed Yakubu Ashiki, the status of the other victims confirmed the virus after diagnosis. All three victims were neighbours in Tudun Gwandara, a high-density area of the state capital.

Other reports said that the viral disease claimed two lives in the central Plateau town of Kagbwir in Kanke Local Government Area. The Plateau State Commissioner of Health, Dr Fom Dakwak, said in Jos that at least two others were down with the virus at the Vom Christian Hospital.

These reports have galvanised officials of the Federal Ministry of Health to despatch experts to investigate the outbreak, which has also claimed three lives in Benue State.

The ministry's epidemiological division confirmed that 1,172 cases of Lassa fever with 50 deaths were reported in 2011. Some 1,656 cases of the disease with 112 deaths in 23 states of the federation were reported last year...

[Ronan Kelly]

Lassa Fever: JUTH Tasks FG on Screening Centres

09 Feb 2013

By Seriki Adinoyi

Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr. Ishaya Pam, has urged the Federal Government to establish a Lassa fever screening centre in Plateau State.

The CMD, who spoke with newsmen on Friday in Jos when he received a five-man fact-finding team from the Federal Ministry of Health on the epidemic, which is currently ravaging the state, said at the present JUTH had had to rely on the facilities at the Specialist Hospital in Irrua, Edo State for investigation of suspected cases.
...
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/...entres/138915/

[Shiloh]

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201302120196.html

Nigeria: Ondo Lassa Fever Confined to Single LG
By Judd-Leonard Okafor, 11 February 2013

Outbreak of Lassa fever has been confined to a single local government area, Ose, according to local health workers.

Since January at least nine cases, including a police officer, have been recorded and some of them treated at the lone private hospital which handles Lassa fever, said Dr Stanley Adelabu, medical director of Adelabu Hospital and Maternity, Ose.

Ondo has received tablets and injections of Ribavirin, used to treat Lassa fever, and teams of medical experts in the wake of outbreak there, but Ose council has called for siting a diagnosis centre in the area...

[Ronan Kelly]

Lassa Fever kills 11 in one month –Don
POSTED ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH, 2013

By Francis Onoiribholo Ag. Bureau Chief Benin

No fewer than 11 persons were killed by Lassa Fever in the country between January and February 4 this year.

Former Vice Chancellor, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Prof. Dennis Agbonlahor, revealed this in Benin in an interview shortly after delivering the 10th guest lecture of the College of Medical Sciences of the University of Benin, entitled “Lassa Fever: A 44 -Year-Old Deadly Public Health Burden in Nigeria.”

Agbonlahor announced that Lassa fever pandemic spread to 22 local government areas in nine states, including Edo, Benue, Delta, Nasarawa, Taraba and Plateau states between January and February 4 this year.
...
http://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/...one-month-don/

[Ronan Kelly]

Weekly updates on epidemics in Nigeria: As at 1st February 2013
...

2. Lassa fever update as at 1st February, 2013
2.1. As at 1st February 2013, a total of 228 suspected cases of Lassa fever, 64 laboratory-confirmed with
15 deaths were reported from 23 LGAs (9 States) in 2013 (Figure 4). In the reporting week 4 (2013), 7 suspected cases of Lassa fever, 4 Laboratory confirmed with 0 death were reported from Benue and Ebonyi States.
2.2. A total of 1723 suspected Lassa fever cases, 201 Laboratory confirmed and 112 deaths (CFR 6.50%)
were reported from 42 LGAs in 23 States in 2012 (Figure 5).
2.3. The National Lassa Fever outbreak rapid response team responded and contained confirmed outbreaks of Lassa fever in Benue, Edo, Nasarawa, Ondo and Plateau States.

[Ronan Kelly]

Lassa Fever Claims 8 In Jega

Thu, 28/02/2013 - 12:52am | YAHYA SARKI News Metro

Lassa fever has claimed the lives of eight people in Jega local government area of Kebbi State, while three others are still undergoing medical treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Birnin Kebbi.

A nurse at the FMC, Birnin Kebbi, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they received the case on Wednesday Feb. 28, 2013, and that three people were confirmed dead on the spot while two others died the following day.

He further explained that, on Friday, five people were brought from the same local government and one died in the night, another one passed away the following day while the remaining three people are still undergoing medical treatment.
...
http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/48...ms_8_jega.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Lassa fever returns viciously … 100 dead in 60 days, more than 30 in critical condition

Category: News Published on Saturday, 09 March 2013 05:00 Written by Vincent Egunganga, Benin; Lami Sadiq, Jos & Hir Joseph, Lafia

Scientists at the Nigeria’s only hospital that specializes in the treatment of Lassa fever, Irrua Specialist Hospital, Benin were unanimous that this year is likely to be the worst since 1969 when the first case was recorded in Lassa, Borno State, going by early signs.
...
The hospital record obtained by the Weekly Trust shows that 100 patients were brought to the institution within January, 2013 alone, out of which 40 had died. According to the breakdown of the cases by the scientist at the research and documentation centre of the hospital, Ikponwonsa Ordia, Edo State has the highest figure of 38 reported cases out of which 15 had died. Ondo State has the second highest with 19 patients out of which eight died, this was followed by Taraba State with eight cases brought to the hospital out of which three died.

Other states include Benue six patients, Plateau two patients, Rivers, Nasarawa and Ebonyi one each, as well as Abuja five among others.
Ordia said by the end of February, the number of patients brought to the hospital had risen to 190 out of which 100 died, while 30 are still in critical condition.
...
http://weeklytrust.com.ng/index.php/...ical-condition

[Shiloh]

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201304010094.html

Nigeria: Lassa Fever Kills One in Rivers
By Victor Edozie, 30 March 2013

Port Harcourt — A renewed outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic disease known as Lassa fever has claimed the life of a 33-year-old man in Port Harcourt.

Rivers State Commissioner for Health Dr. Sampson Parker, who disclosed this to journalist in Port Harcourt, said the deceased died at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital before help could come his way...