Lassa Fever In Lagos: 92 People Had Direct And Indirect Contact With Index Case

The authorities of Lagos state commented on the outbreak of Lassa hemorrhagic fever on Saturday, January 16. The state government urges the residents and guests of Nigeria’s largest metropolis to remain calm, assures that it is doing everything possible to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.

The press briefing took place at the Alausa Secretariat.

What we know about the index case

Dr. Jide Idris, the commissioner for health, revealed that 92 people had direct and indirect contact with the index case. According to the international standards and requirements, they now are subject for monitoring.

A 25-year-old male undergraduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna state, was reported to have fallen ill after arriving in Lagos and was taken to Ahmmadiyyah Hospital, Ojokoro, on January 9 with complaint of fever, sore throats and difficulty in swallowing.

People with temperature above 38.5 would be isolated in order to prevent the spread of the fever. Photo: Lagos state government

The patient was subsequently placed on admission for six days and was thereafter referred by the said private hospital to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on January 14, 2016, owing to the fact that the fever was persistent and his condition was not improving.

The young man was confirmed as a case of Lassa fever on January 15, at LUTH, and is currently being managed to the extent that his condition is now stable.

Fifteen in-patients who were admitted alongside the index case, as well as 25 health workers who attended to them, have been placed on compulsory 21 days monitoring, and that the phone numbers and addresses of the people in that category have also been collected for proper tracking.

Any of the persons in that category with temperature above 38.5 would be isolated so as to prevent the spread of the disease, while they have also been advised on the need to maintain little or no contact with others, at least for now.

READ ALSO: WARNING: Lassa Fever Comes To Lagos, First Case Confirmed

Is Lassa different from Ebola virus disease?

Lassa fever and Ebola virus disease belong to the same viral hemorrhagic fever group. However, Lassa fever is milder and can be treated and cured if defected early. Therefore, any persistent fever should be reported to the nearest public health facility.

Isolation centres have equally been prepared to manage suspected and confirmed cases. Photo: Lagos state government

Symptoms of Lassa fever and recommendations for residents

Residents are urged to watch out for the signs and symptoms of Lassa fever which typically occur with incubation period of one-three weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. Early symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, chills, diarrheas, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint pains.

Late symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, bleeding from the mouth and rectum, eye swelling, swelling of the genitals and rashes all over the body that often contain blood. It could progress to coma, shock and death.

Commissioner Idris urged the residents to avoid contact with rats, ensure proper collection and disposal of waste, cover all foods including left-overs and water properly, wash their hands properly before and after cooking of foods, block all rat hideouts and store food items in rodent-proof containers.

The post Lassa Fever In Lagos: 92 People Had Direct And Indirect Contact With Index Case appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.