Posted on: Fri 22-01-2016

Lassa Fever. UCH Perspective: Following the level of anxiety being expressed by members of staff all over the hospital on the epidemics of Lassa fever currently being experienced in various states of the federation, the Association of Resident Doctors UCH has deemed it proper that we make a statement

By now we are aware that the result from the UCH Virology dept about the patient that died in  emergency department yesternight (21/1/16) has been confirmed positive for Lassa. Patient came in with no fever, no sorethroat and no body ache.

Some of our members  have been exposed but on interaction today with the Hospital Management, these were their advice :

1) That the Virology Department laboratory result was positive and was done via a PCR-based reaction.

2) That the management expresses her readiness to tackle the Lassa Fever menace with the abundance of relevant human resources, laboratories, drugs and PPEs

3) That the doctors and nurses who examined and took samples from the aforementioned patient should remain calm as there is no cause for alarm.

4)That no one should commence rivabirin use esp when there are no symptoms

5) That they should not be quarantined because they are neither a risk to themselves nor to the public.

6) That they should be kept under constant surveillance using thermometer on a daily basis.

Our Recommendations

Dear colleagues

1) Ensure limited contacts and adequate protection especially when any case of fever or illnesses with symptoms as sorethroat, bleeding, joint ache and body pains presents

2) That according to WHO, there is no need to quarantine/commence rivabirin by anyone who had contact with a confirmed case esp  when the contact/caregiver has not developed symptoms, hence none of our members involved in the management of the index patient should be quarantined nor start rivabirin

3)That the affected members who partook in the management of the index patient should remain calm while surveillance continues.

4)That members involved in the past tutorials/ drills by management on precautionary measures and latest protocols on haemorrhagic fevers should pass down the knowledge to other members

5)Revise your training in infectious diseases and standard and universal precautions in these regard and do so all of the time and with every patient care. Prevention is always better and cheaper than cure.

We know the definitive diagnosis of Lassa fever requires at least two (2) positive paired sera samples at independent reference laboratories. Hence, we still expect the management to do so especially when there have been cases of discordance in the  laboratory results of UCH laboratories and some other independence reference laboratories.

Finally, we implore improvement/increase in personal hygiene and standard precautions along the lines outlined above as we also implore you to help your relatives, neighbours and friends to do the same.

We commend the efforts of the UCH Management, MDCAN and the Honorable Ministers of Health for their  moral, timely and financial support towards curtailing the unfortunate Lassa epidemic.

Their public enlightenment and proactiveness on this epidemic have been most heart warming.

Luqman Ogunjimi                                                 Olusegun Olaopa

President                                                                 General Secretary

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