Health Commissioner says 250 people under close monitoring

dimeji akinloye

January 19, 2016 8:37 PM

He stated that 250 others, who came in contact with victims of the disease are also being monitored.

Lassa Fever.

The daughter of a Lassa Fever victim in Rivers State has been taken into a temporary holding centre for close monitoring, the State's Commissioner for Health, Dr Theophilus Odagme, said today, December 19.

Odagme said the results of the test carried out on the girl are yet to be out. The girl is said to be close to one of the three victims of the viral disease.

“We have kept her at a one of the three temporary holding centres for close observation. Samples has been taken from her and we are still waiting for the results of the test.

“For now, she cannot be said to have come down with lassa fever, until the result of the test is out. But, we have kept her on close observation and monitoring,’’ he said.

READ: Get live updates on Lassa Fever outbreak in Nigeria

The commissioner said: “Our contact-tracing team has been monitoring 250 persons by checking their temperatures or symptoms suggestive of the fever. But right now, none of them is positive.

“ We will continue to monitor and observe them for 21 days in order to ensure that there is no trace of the disease in them" .

Odagme added that the state government is renovating the main treatment centre at Odohia, in Emohua LG , which was used to attend to Ebola patients two years ago.

dimeji akinloye