Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja and Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), yesterday, said states have been placed on the alert following the Lassa fever epidemic and the outbreak of the coronavirus that is reported to have claimed 17 lives in Wuhan, China.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed an increase in the number of Lassa fever cases in the country since the beginning of the year.
Between January 1 and 19, a total of 398 suspected cases were reported from various states across the country, leading to 24 deaths.
According to the weekly situation report for Week 3 (January 1 to 19) released yesterday, 163 cases of the disease have so far been confirmed in nine states, with 24 deaths recorded.
This figure is expected to rise as more states have reported cases of the disease.
Lassa fever, also known as lassa haemorrhagic fever (LHF), is a viral haemorrhagic illness caused by contact with food or household items contaminated by rodent urine or faeces containing the Lassa virus.
Many of those infected did not develop symptoms, but when symptoms occur, they typically include fever, weakness, headaches, vomiting and muscle pains.
Kano State announced on Wednesday that three people had died while Enugu confirmed one death.
The number of new confirmed cases in Week 3 increased from 64 to 81, mainly in six states: Ondo, Edo, Delta, Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi.
“As at the reporting week, nine states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 32 local government areas,” the report said.
According to the NCDC, the predominant age group affected is 11 to 40 years and the male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:1.
With the increasing number of Lassa fever cases in the country and death among health workers, the NCDC has called on all health workers to be cautious when dealing with patients, to prevent person-to-person transmission.
Chairman of the NGF, Ekiti Stat governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, at a press conference in Abuja, said governors were working with the Federal Ministry of Health and other agencies to contain the epidemic in the states.
He said, to curb the epidemic, governors had agreed to immediately implement the Seattle Declaration, including the constitution of a multi-sectoral Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) implementation committee, quarterly review of primary health care performances in states, review of states performance on the Abuja commitment and organising advocacy meetings with traditional and religious leaders.
“On the Lassa fever, we recorded cases in two states, Ondo, in the South, and Kano, in the North. I believe all our states are taking precautionary measures to address this, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control. We are working to ensure that this does not spread any further than it has at the moment,” Fayemi said.
Oyo puts doctors on alert
As part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease, the Oyo State government has placed medical officials across the 33 local government areas and 35 local council development areas of the state on red alert based on the outbreak of Lassa fever in some parts of the country.
Commissioner for health, Oyo State, Dr. Bashir Bello, announced this when he addressed journalists at the Film Theatre, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Ibadan, on Thursday.
He noted that though there has not been any confirmed case of Lassa fever in the state, the University College Hospital (UCH) and members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) should work to prevent the fever from spreading to Oyo State.
Bello was accompanied to the press briefing by the commissioner for information, culture and tourism in the state, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, chairman of the state chapter of the NMA, Dr. Akin Shodipo, permanent secretary, ministry of information, culture and tourism, Mr. Gabriel Oguntola, his counterpart at the ministry of health, Dr. Mufutau Ayoola, other stakeholders in preventive and curative medicine.
Bello noted that, since the outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever in some states across the country, including Ondo and Kano, the ministry has launched surveillance and alerted its health centres in the state, isolated departments and quarantine units to be on the alert. He added that his ministry had been working with UCH and the NMA for curative measures in the event of any reported case.
He also cautioned people living in the rural areas against spreading raw food items by the roadside to dry under the sun, saying rodents could walk on the food and excrete on them, which would be packed and transported to the cities and could cause Lassa fever.
Edo, Borno record 8 deaths
Edo government on Thursday said it recorded eight deaths out of a total of 175 cases of Lassa fever since the current outbreak of the epidemic in the state.
Chief press secretary to the Deputy Governor, Musa Ebomhiana, said it was the highest the state has recorded since the first outbreak in the state.
He said, “An ambulance has been dedicated strictly for the use of Lassa fever cases in the state to help facilitate the curbing of the disease.
“The affected local governments are Esan West, Esan Central, Esan North-East, Esan South-East, Igueben, and Etsako West.”
In Borno, four cases have been reported with one of the patients dead.
Commissioner of Health, Dr Salihu Kwaya-Bura disclosed at a press conference in Maiduguri on Thursday that three patients with Lassa Fever symptoms and infection were discovered after the death of the first victim, a case reported last Saturday.
“Precisely on the 18th January, 2020, we received a patient at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) which had symptoms of Lassa Fever. Unfortunately, we lost the patient,” the commissioner said.
He said the medical team has conducted laboratory investigation after taken some sample and established the presence of Lassa Fever in the patient body system. He said efforts have also been put in place to established all those who had contact with the patient within the period with a view to quarantine them.
He said three more Lassa Fever patients have been isolated.
Osun combat-ready to curtail spread
In Osun, authorities have declared that the state has put its health officers on the alert to prevent an outbreak of Lassa fever.
Dr. Olasiji Olamiju, Special Adviser to Governor Gboyega Oyetola on Public Health, said, due to the outbreak of the disease in parts of the country, especially in neighbouring Ondo State, Osun has put measures in place to prevent an outbreak of the infection to the state.
Anambra gets emergency centre
Anambra said it has adopted proactive measures to guard against Lassa fever spreading in the state.
Commissioner for health, Dr. Vincent Okpala, said, with the reported cases in Delta and Enugu, it became imperative to come up with measures to preempt the spread of the disease to the state.
“There is no cause for alarm; health institutions and workers in the state have been placed on red alert against the spread of the disease.
“We are sensitising our health workers and building their capacity to know how to promptly handle the diseases whenever they occur.
“We have an Emergency Operations Centre, which is very active in terms of surveillance, and all health facilities are equally combat-ready to curtail the spread, should it occur,” he said.
Okpala explained that the ministry has also intensified campaigns to inform residents on the need to imbibe healthy practices.
