Nigeria 2012: Lassa Fever cases; 112 fatalities

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.thenationonlineng.net/201...abakaliki.html

Doctor die of Lassa fever in Abakaliki
By gbonnaya Obinna 1 hour ago
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?Others in critical condition

A Doctor has reportedly died of the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, otherwise known as Lassa fever, in Ebonyi State.

Some other doctors are being treated for the disease at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Abakaliki.

Though no official confirmation has been made by the Ministry of Health, doctors have raised the alarm over the outbreak of the disease...

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- Outbreak among doctors in Ebonyi State

Source: http://dailytimes.com.ng/article/las...lls-cmd-ebonyi


Lasaa fever kills CMD in Ebonyi
Director of the Igboji General Hospital falls victim to the outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever
Article | January 18, 2012 - 3:59am | By Nnamdi Akpa

Following the death of the Chief Medical Director of Igboji GeneralHospital Ikwo Ikwo LGA of Ebonyi state by Viral Hemorrhagic Fever thegovernment said it has put in place an emergency response team for the
treatment and control of outbreak of communicable diseases such asViral Hemorrhagic Fever, gastroenteritis, meningitis associated withdry season...

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- Outbreak among doctors in Ebonyi State

Source: http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/comm...cable-diseases

Ebonyi govt inaugurates response team on communicable diseases
Friday, 20 January 2012

The Ebonyi State government has set up an emergency response team for the treatment and control of communicable diseases in the state, an official has said in Abakaliki.

The government took the step against the suspected outbreak of haemorrhagic fever, also called Lassa fever, in the state, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Sunday Nwangele, told health stakeholders at a meeting.

Lassa fever broke out in the state in 2008 and claimed many lives, including those of two medical doctors and other health workers.

In 2011, four persons said to be residing at the Military Cantonment, Nkwoagu, near Abakaliki, also died of the disease.

Nwangele said the team would manage the outbreak of the disease and also manage other communicable diseases, such as gastroenteritis, meningitis and other diseases associated with the dry season...

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- Outbreak among doctors in Ebonyi State

Source: http://www.thenationonlineng.net/201...ever-back.html

Is Lassa fever back?
By WALE ADEPOJU 59 minutes ago
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Lassa fever is back as cases are being reported in some parts of the country. The vectors are rats and dirty environment. WALE ADEPOJU writes on the Federal Government?s effort to contain the disease.

Lassa fever, an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus found in rats, is on the loose in some parts of the country.The death of a medical doctor was reported in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State while unconfirmed reports claimed Imo and some northern states are experiencing what may turn out to be an epidemic, if not checked...

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- Outbreak among doctors in Ebonyi State

Nigeria: Rivers Records Two Cases of Lassa Fever

Our Correspondent26 January 2012


The Rivers Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, on Wednesday announced an outbreak of lassa fever in the state.

He said in Port Harcourt that two persons, including a female youth corps member, had been reported dead from the disease.

Parker explained that the victims were serving in the state, but travelled to their homes in Edo and Ebonyi during the Christmas celebration, where they developed symptoms of the fever and eventually died.

He said the state government had launched an enlightenment campaign to sensitise the people to the need to take necessary precautions against the disease.

Parker said government had received reports of "pockets of occurrences" of lassa fever in seven states, including Edo and Ebonyi.

...

http://allafrica.com/stories/201201261262.html

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- 7 dead in Taraba

Source: http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news...ls-7-in-taraba

Lassa fever kills 7 in Taraba
Written by Celestine Ihejirika, Jalingo Friday, 10 February 2012

Seven people have reportedly died in Taraba State, following an outbreak of lassa fever a couple of days ago.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prince Mustapha Hamman Gabdo, comfirmed this while briefing journalists in the state.

The commissioner said four of the victims of the disease died at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, one died at the Government House Clinic, Jalingo, and the two others, who contracted the disease in Taraba State died in Gombe State after travelling there for treatment.

He said the ministry had already taken measures to stop the spread of the epidemic and would embark on sensitisation campaigns as well as vaccinate the entire people of the state against the disease.

Shedding more light on the source of the dreaded fever and its dangers to human beings, the head of Epidemiology unit in the state Ministry of Health, Innocent Vakai, said the disease was transmitted by a specific rat which had no hair on its tail...

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- 7 dead in Taraba

Source: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpage...-2012-013.html

Rivers fights Lassa fever epidemic
From Our reporter
Monday, February 13, 2012


Rivers State Government has commenced plans to tackle Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever carried by rodents after discovering its existence in the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker declared the virus an epidemic during an interactive session with the medical staff of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, last weekend...

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- 7 dead in Taraba

From the latest epidemiological report to Feb 3rd. Does not yet include the latest outbreaks in Taraba.

http://www.fmh.gov.ng/images/stories/documents/WeeklyEpidemiologyReport_FMOH_Abuja_wk_4_as_at_3_Feb_2012_2.pdf

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- 7 dead in Taraba

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202130767.html

Nigeria: Lassa Fever Hits Rivers - Govt
By Isa Umar Gusau, 13 February 2012

Port Harcourt ? Lassa fever, a viral killer diseases carried by rodents especially rats, is now an epidemic in Rivers State, the state government has said.

Dr. Sampson Parker, the state's Commissioner for Health, declared the disease an epidemic during an interactive session with the medical staff of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, when he met them at the weekend in Port Harcourt...

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- 8 dead in Taraba State

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202140982.html

Nigeria: Eight Die of Lassa Fever in Taraba
By Terkula Igidi, 14 February 2012

Jalingo ? Eight persons including medical personal have reportedly died in Taraba State, following an outbreak of Lassa fever few days ago.

Officials of the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, who confirmed the death, said the victims died at the hospital and that two of the deceased were pregnant medical staff of the hospital...

...He said another five nurses of the hospital, who had shown symptoms of the disease, have been taken to the Lassa Fever Research and Control Institute at Irrua, with the doctors and two of the nurses testing positive to the fever.

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- 8 dead in Taraba State

Lasa Fever kills doctor, nurse , 11 others in Jalingo
on FEBRUARY 15, 2012 ? in NEWS

Jalingo ? An outbreak of the deadly Lasa fever has claimed the lives of 13 people, including a medical doctor and a nurse in Jalingo, Taraba, a week after it was first diagnosed.

The deaths were largely recorded at the Federal Medical Centre Jalingo, a situation which had forced officials of the centre to close down the Accident and Emergency Unit.

The outbreak of the disease had also led to panic among patients on admission at the centre who had deserted it in droves, leaving the wards virtually empty.

...

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/02/lasa-fever-kills-doctor-nurse-11-others-in-jalingo/

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- Nurse dies in Rivers

Source: http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/02/18/...r-hits-rivers/

Nurse Dies As Lassa Fever Hits Rivers print
Published on February 18, 2012 by pmnews

Fear has gripped medical personnel in Rivers state due to deadly Lassa fever epidemic that has hit the oil and gas-rich Niger Delta region, with a female nurse already dead, while six cases have been confirmed...

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- Nurse dies in Rivers

Source: http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/news/6...curtail-spread

Lassa fever hits Rivers ?Govt moves to curtail spread
Written by Bolaji Ogundele, Port Harcourt Sunday, 19 February 2012


At least one person has been confirmed dead and six others recorded infected as the Rivers State government confirmed the outbreak of Lassa fever in some sections of the state.
The state?s Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker, who confirmed this to journalists in Port Harcourt on Saturday, warned residents of the state especially those in the villages and healthcare facilities to be vigilant.

Parker, who said the state government was doing everything to curtail the spread as well as clear the existing cases, explained that the disease is spread by a species of rats he identified as Mastomys rodents.

According to the Health Commissioner, the disease is difficult to diagnose, stating symptoms to include fever, pain behind the chest wall, sore throat, back pain, cough, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, facial swelling and mucosal bleeding, among others...

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases- Nurse dies in Rivers

From the latest epidemiology report dated Feb 10;

http://www.fmh.gov.ng/images/stories/documents/WeeklyEpidemiologyReport_FMOH__10_Feb_2012.pdf

5. Lassa Fever
5.1 In the reporting week 5 2012, 29 suspected cases of Lassa fever, 8 Laboratory confirmed with 12 deaths
(CFR, 41.4&#37 were reported from 4 states (Taraba, Rivers, Nasarawa and Plateau). So far a total of 196
suspected Lassa fever, 51 Laboratory confirmed with 29 deaths (CFR 14.8%) have been recorded
between weeks 1 – 5 2012 in 9 States (Table 5).**

5.2. Further investigation by the FMOH team is ongoing in Taraba and Rivers States. The FMoH has also
provided Ribavirin injections and other supplies for case management to all the affected States.**

[Shiloh]

Re: Nigeria: Lassa Fever cases; 40 fatalities - According to health minister

Source: http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/02/21/...eria-minister/

Lassa Fever Kills 40 In Nigeria ? Minister print
Published on February 21, 2012 by pmnews

An outbreak of Lassa fever, an acute haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus, has killed 40 people in 12 of Nigeria?s 36 states, Minister of State for Health, Muhammed Pate told a press conference in Abuja, the nation?s capital, Tuesday.

According to the Pan African News Agency, PANA, the minister said the casualties resulted from the 397 cases so far recorded, and listed the affected states as Gombe, Nasarawa, Taraba, Plateau and Yobe in the north, and Edo, Ebonyi, Ondo, Rivers, Anambra, Delta and Lagos in the south.

Minister Pate, who did not say when the outbreak started, said Edo, Nasarawa and Plateau were the endemic states, from where the disease was ?exported? to other states...