The outbreak of Lassa fever has reportedly killed nine persons since November last year, according to authorities of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State.
Many of them as gathered, died at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the hospital before their ailments could be diagnose as Lassa fever.
THISDAY reported that a Lassa fever patient died on Tuesday at the hospital while another whose case was described as critical was admitted.
It was gathered that one of the two patients admitted at the Isolation Ward is responding to treatment.
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Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Sylvanus Okogbenin, who spoke to journalists yesterday said the current Lassa fever cases were endemic in Edo North senatorial district. Okogbenin disclosed that test and treatment for Lassa fever at the hospital was free as the federal government has provided enough ribavirin vaccine.
He called for the building of more treatment facilities in each of the geo-political zones for easy diagnosis and treatment.
According to him, There has been an endemic of Lassa fever. We have received blood samples from patients within Edo and other states, like Taraba, Nassarawa, Bauchi, Plateau, Ondo and Delta, some of which tested positive.”
“The major challenge we have is many of the patients present (themselves) quite late and many of them still die in Accident and Emergency (unit) before we have enough time to move them to the isolation ward for proper care. And that is why we are saying there is need for more sensitisation, so that patients can begin to come early.
“The truth is that, even if you are infected with Lassa fever and come early to the hospital, it can be treated, particularly as we have plenty of Ribavarin injection, which is the specific drug required to treat them (patients). We also have the renal dialysis unit that is specifically for patients who have Lassa fever because one of the causes of death is that Lassa fever virus affects the kidneys and the kidneys shut down. We have dialysis machines that help us manage them.
“Since November (2015), we have seen 12 patients. Most of our patients come from the environs but Edo North seemed to have been more implicated in this outbreak. So, I have asked the community health team to form a team to go there and educate the people and do some contact tracing.
“We have quite some deaths, although majority of them occur in the Accident and Emergency. In other words, they just come and before you can diagnose, the patient dies. So, they coming so late to the hospital.”
By: Adibe Emenyonu
This Day News
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