3 victims test positive to disease in Lagos

A statement jointly signed by two top health officials in Lagos state, Dr. Jide Idris, the commissioner for health and Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, the special adviser on Primary Health Care (PHC), confirmed that three victims have tested positive to Lassa Fever.

According to Leadership, the statement said “Three of the suspected cases were confirmed positive of Lassa fever. One case was confirmed on the January 15, 2016 and two cases were confirmed on January 18, 2016. Eight suspected cases tested negative, while we are awaiting results for the remaining three suspected cases. The ministry has listed 447 contacts of the confirmed cases and 438 (98 per cent) of the contacts are currently being monitored.”

In a bid to curb the spread of the disease, the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN), Lagos State Chapter, on Monday, January 25, 2016, said that it had destroyed no fewer than 4,400 rats at six major markets in the state under its de-rat market programme.

Meanwhile, in Akwa-Ibom, the commissioner for health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, has confirmed to newsmen, the death of a 53 year old woman who tested positive to Lassa Fever.

The fear of Lassa Fever seems to be the beginning of wisdom these days.

Reports say patients and medical personnel in Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, took to their heels when they discovered that two patients allegedly died as a result of the deadly disease, that has taken over 60 lives so far.