 |
| Lagos State Govt Officials |
The index patient, a 25-year old man, an undergraduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, is reported to have developed fever, sore throats, difficulty swallowing on arriving Lagos and was admitted at Ahmmadiyyah Hospital, Ojokoro, on Saturday January 9, for all of 6 days. As his condition worsened, he was transferred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on January 14, 2016.
On January 15, at LUTH, he was pronounced a Lassa patient.
Please Read Also: 'Lassa Begins Killing In Lagos'
In a press briefing at the State Secretariat in Alausa, the Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, told the media that "92 people had direct and indirect contact with the index case", and that in line with international standards and requirements, the 92 are now "subject for monitoring."
"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."
It has also been revealed that the index patient, the young man is presently being managed and his condition is now stable.
A Helpful Background On Lassa Fever
- Lassa Fever is caused by viral infection. It's virus is comparable to the Ebola virus, but is milder and can be cured if detected early enough.
- Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, diarrheas, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, and joint pains.
- If not properly treated early enough, late symptoms develop to bleeding from eyes, ears and nose; bleeding from the mouth and rectum; swollen eyes; swollen genitals and rashes that often contain blood spreading all over the bod.
- It could lead to coma, shock and death.
- The virus is mostly carried by a specific specie of rats and infected people.
Treatment
The best treatment is to keep a clean environment, to keep out rats from the surroundings. Ensure proper collection and disposal of waste, keep all foods properly covered, wash hands properly before and after cooking/eating. Avoid contact with infected individuals. Finally, report any case of fever at all to the nearest medical centre.
Uduak Umo
Isolo, Lagos
Pls read also: MY EXPERIENCE WITH EBOLA
Comments