Following the confirmed outbreak of Lassa Fever recorded recently in Avonkwu Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA,where a 28 year old man was confirmed to have died of the disease at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia on the 1st day of January 2020,the Abia State government has assured that it is on top gear to avert possible breakout /occurance in parts of the state.
Briefing Journalists in his office,the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Chief Egbulefu Emole while
allaying fears of the citizenry further assured that necessary steps have been taken by the ministry to avert the spread of the virus adding that facilities are available in various health centres across the state for the containment of the disease.
In his words: “For this one that has happened, we have lost only one person who is the index patient at FMC and all contacts with the index patient has been identified. The primary contact; those who treated the patient have been placed on prophylaxis whereas others that have contact with this primary contact have also been placed on serious surveillance”.
Egbulefu while noting that Lassa fever is a major public health challenge in Nigeria,noted the current outbreak is the fourth witnessed in the State between 1999 to date.
He disclosed that the disease is not deadly but a viral illness caused by a certain infectious element which is housed by a specie of rat usually through contamination by the excreta or urine of the infected rat.
He added that the disease can also be contacted through close contact with body fluid of infected patients and urged Abians to report cases of persistent fever to health authorities for early diagnosis and treatment.
“We don’t want the public to panic, we only want people to know that this disease has a cure and it is early diagnosis that will save any patient from dying.
“Within 48 hours of commencement of treatment, the disease is contained and cannot be transmitted from person to person again”,he said.
The Permanent Secretary who advised all Abians to carefully rid their homes of rats, cover their food to avoid contamination as well as avoid indiscriminate burning of bushes said “when you burn bushes around your premises, the rats escape and look for where to hide and if your home is close by, they enter your houses and are likely to cause contamination”.
He thanked the state Governor for his full backing for the containment of the disease adding that the ministry is capable of containing possible spread of the disease.
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