Chioma Obinna & Monsuru Olowoopejo

Following the  fear of the outbreak of Lassa fever in Lagos, the state government, yesterday, placed 25 health workers and 15 patients under surveillance.

The state government also shut Ahmmadiyyah Hospital, Ojokoro  in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area  where the first case of the disease was reported in the state.

This came barely 24 hours after the Lagos government confirmed the first case of the fever in the state. Sunday Vanguard gathered that the patient, 25-year-old Ahmed Fasasi, an undergraduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, was at the Accident and Emergency Unit of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, where he was being isolated.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed this, in a statement, added that the state government had commenced contact tracing for residents who had contacts with the first case.

“Ahmmadiyyah Hospital, where the first case of the disease in Lagos was reported, is now under surveillance and there will be no service delivery in the facility until further notice.

“The 15 in-patients as well as 25 health workers in the facility are being monitored for the next 21 days. Contacts tracing is ongoing; and currently we have 92 contacts and all are being followed-up,” Idris added.

The commissioner, however, urged residents to watch out for the signs and symptoms of Lassa fever which often occur within 1-3 weeks after the patient contacts the virus.

His words, “Early symptoms of the disease include: fever, headache, chills, diarrhea, 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.”

….On how first case arrive Lagos

He noted that the first case recorded in the state was presently being treated at LUTH, saying “his condition is stable.”

He stated that the 25-year-old patient fell ill after arriving Lagos and was taken to Ahmmadiyyah Hospital, Ojokoro on January 9.

Idris  explained that the patient complained of fever, sore throat and difficulty in swallowing.

“He was subsequently placed on admission for six days and was thereafter referred by the private hospital to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on the 14th of January, 2016 because the fever was persistent and his condition was not improving. He was confirmed as a case of Lassa fever on the 15th of January, 2016 at LUTH,” he stated.