The first lassa fever victim identified in the state early this month has been reportedly dead. The deceased, simply identified as Eze was said to have died on Saturday, February 13. She was expected to complete her medication today and to also have her blood sample tested to confirm her cure.
Addressing newsmen Sunday evening at the conference room of the state Ministry of Health, the state commissioner for health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye expressed unhappiness over the death, saying, the state is waiting to celebrate her for the completion of her dosage before she finally passed on yesterday.
According to him: “Ogun state government under the leadership of Sen Ibikunle Amosun announces regrettably the death of the first case of Lassa fever in Ogun state today.
“We have contacted the family and gotten necessary consents and approvals to bury the remains according to WHO guidelines and the national protocol.
“Eze was admitted into the isolation unit of OSUTH,which was specifically equipped,strafed and funded by the state government to manage confirmed cases of Lassa in the course of this national epidermic.
” Upon confirmation at a private hospitals in Ota,Eze was received the best medical attentions from varying numbers of medical specialists,well trained nurses,volunteer medical officers and several well kitted support staff. The patient has received a nine day course of ribavirin, potent antibiotics, appropriate blood transfusions and necessary psychosocial support.
“We were only waiting to celebrate the completion of medication today and take a blood sample to confirm cure,when unexpected complication set in yesterday, Saturday 13,February,2016,” Ipaye said.
He also disclosed that the deceased relatives were contacted before burial, added that her father, who resides in Nassarrawa state was contacted alongside other relatives around here.
The commissioner however confirmed that none of the 121 primary contacts tracked with the first victim have shown any symptom suggestive of Lassa fever.
He said the first 10 days have proved that, assuring that they will keep watching in the next 11 days to make up the longest incubation period of 21 days.
Meanwhile, another victim has been identified in the state and she too is undergoing monitoring presently at the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital (OSUTH), Sagamu,Ogun state.
Commenting on the second case which was discovered on Thursday, Ipaye revealed that she also traveled into Abeokuta from Kogi, north-central part of the country.
He however stated that the victim,whose identity was not revealed was between 28-30 years and is 12 weeks pregnant.
Ipaye noted that the victim is responding to treatment as at this morning when he checked on her.
“Like the first case, she also traveled into Abeokuta from Kogi state. She is said to have traveled to Kogi- her husband’s hometown, for a ceremony. After the ceremony, she spent about two weeks in the state before returning here to meet with her husband,who is a civil servant.
“She is said to have gone to a primary health centre in Obantoko area from where she was refereed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi aba in Abeokuta. The FMC don’t have facilities for isolation, so we were called upon.
“As a responsible and responsive government, we took up the responsibility and admitted her at OSUTH. As at this morning, I was there and I’m happy to report that she is fast responding to treatment. She is stable now, eating well and even spoke with her husband.
“We have been in contact with her family members and presently have mounted active surveillance on the 60 primary contacts of the patient”, the commissioner stated.
Ipaye however hinted that residents should not panic, saying the situation is under full control. He added that: “We will continue to implements the active surveillance, particularly, in our border local government areas.
Ipaye stressed that people should maintain personal and environmental hygiene and ensure that they keep rats and rodents out of their abode.
Source: Naij.com
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