While Ogun State Government on Sunday confirmed that there is a case of Lassa Fever in the state, it, however, insisted that the patient is alive and not dead.
Dr. Tomi Coker, the Commissioner for Health in a release said the suspected Lassa Fever case was confirmed by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Virology Laboratory on January 24, 2020.
Dr Coker said the patient is a 29-year-old pregnant woman who took ill and was referred to the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Abeokuta.
She debunked claims that the patient has died, adding that the index case was only transferred to Federal Specialist hospital, Irua, Edo State.
“The patient is not dead as she was transferred to the Federal Specialist Hospital in Irua, Edo State, whose facilities provide the patient with the full benefit of multidisciplinary care required for her due to her pregnancy,” she said.
She further stated that the Rapid Response Team has commenced line listing of all who have come into contact with the patient for surveillance purposes, including her relatives and hospital staff that managed the case.
Coker told the Nation that the State Government acted proactively by putting all countermeasures in place to contain the situation.
She urged residents to maintain proper hygiene, advising them to avoid contact with rodents, cover their food properly and ensure that their food is warmed before eating it.
Coker said: “We have given thermometers to those who have been in contact with the patient to monitor their temperatures and also provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at the designated treatment center at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.
Our health educators and officers have been deployed into action and are educating the public on ways to avoid being infected with Lassa Fever.
“Other emerging or suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fevers are to be isolated in the designated quarantine areas for barriers nursing, until definitive diagnosis is concluded.
“The State Epidemiologist and DNSO should immediately be notified on telephone numbers 0818 897 8393 and 0818 897 8392 in case of any suspected case.”
