* In case of Lassa Fever emergency, call Nigeria Centre for Disease Control or Federal Ministry of Health :08093810105, 08163215251, 08031571667 and 08135050005 – Minister
Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Makurdi has isolated a patient with symptoms of Lassa fever, LEADERSHIP Sunday has reported.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Orkurga Malu who spoke to journalists by telephone Saturday said the hospital has received a case suspected to be Lassa Fever but were yet to confirm it.
Lassa Fever is an acute febrile illness which was first detected in Nigeria in 1969 and comes with bleeding and death in severe cases, with an incubation period of 6-21 days.
The Federal Ministry of Health says the onset of the disease is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, and malaise followed by headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough and bleeding from mouth, nose, vagina, or gastrointestinal tracts and low blood pressure.
Professor Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health has confirmed that over the past 6 weeks the contagious disease has spread to 10 states killing 40 people from 86 reported cases to date.
The disease has so far spread to Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Plateau, Kano, Rivers, Edo, Gombe and Oyo states.
Meantime, Benue State Government has assured that it has employed proactive health measures to prevent the epidemic from spreading in the state and urged the agrarian people not to panic over the outbreak of the killer disease in the neighbouring Nassarawa and Taraba states.
Dr. Cecilia Ojabo, Commissioner for Health and Human Services gave the assurance in Makurdi and said the state government has already set up a Rapid Response Team for prevention of the spread of Lassa Fever in the state.
According to Ojabo, the fever is contagious and can be contracted through contaminated water and food by droppings of infected rats and persons.
However, CMD of BSUTH, Malu further insisted that the teaching hospital was on the watch out following the recent outbreak of the disease in some affected states of the country.
Speaking on the condition of the quarantined patient, Malu further said the blood sample of the suspected patient was taken to a laboratory outside the state to confirm the actuality of the infectious disease. He said the hospital has also constituted an emergency team to handle any outbreak.
-Leadership
