Lagos State Confirms One Case Of Lassa Fever
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday confirmed a case of Lassa fever outbreak in the state, saying the patient has been isolated.
Prof. Akin Abayomi, the State Commissioner for Health, who made this known in a statement, said that the patient was currently in isolation ward at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba.
Lassa fever has been ravaging in over 19 states in the country.
Abayomi, who did not provide details about the patient and location, reassured Lagos residents that the situation was under control, advising them not to panic over the situation.
He said that the state government, in active collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was working assiduously to stem the spread of the disease in the state.
“The Ministry of Health, through Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health Directorate, is currently carrying out ‘contact tracing’ to determine those who may have been infected in line with the international standards, while we beef up our other surveillance strategies,“ he said.
Outlining strategies put in place by the state to control the disease, Abayomi explained that the state government was maintaining relevant surveillance activities through its disease surveillance officers at the local government level to prevent the spread of the disease.
“Isolation wards have been prepared to manage suspected and confirmed cases, drugs and other materials have also been prepositioned at designated facilities, while health workers have been placed on red alert and community sensitisation activities intensified,” Abayomi said.
The commissioner advised health workers, both in the public and private hospitals in the state to ensure that they observe universal safety precautions, comply with infection prevention and control measures when dealing with patients.
He stressed that appropriate personal protective equipment like hand gloves, facemasks, goggles and overalls must be worn when attending to cases.
