By Davies Iheamnachor

PORT HARCOURT— Rivers State Government, yesterday, confirmed a case of Lassa fever, but advised residents of the state not to panic as the situation had been brought under control.

State Ministry of Health, which disclosed this in Port Harcourt on the heels of the Federal Government’s announcement of the resurgence of Lassa fever, noted that a case was discovered in a private hospital.

Confirming the development, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Theophilus Odagme, said a patient who was diagnosed of the ailment had been expertly managed by doctors and that the ministry had maintained all the processes prescribed by the World Health Organisation, WHO, to ensure that it did not spread further in the state.

Lassa-fever

According to Odagme, the state Ministry of Health was collaborating with WHO, the private hospital and the family of the patient to ensure that contact tracing and decontamination were effectively done.

Odagme said: “We  have health facilities in Emohua, where any patient with symptoms is treated. We are appealing to members of the public that persons with constant high fever should be reported to the Ministry of Health for prompt response. Every rat should be taken as a suspect,” the Commissioner declared, urging Rivers people to take the issue of cleaning their environments seriously.”

Odagme, however, enjoined residents to ensure that sick persons were properly diagnosed to know their health status and report all cases of persistent high fever and bleeding to the nearest hospital.