Lassa Fever: Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Obasa Speaks Out

The speaker, in a statement on Sunday, also urged Lagosians to remain calm as the state recorded its first confirmed case on Saturday.

“We also want to appreciate Lagos State that has activated the entire spectrum of prevention and control activities ranging from alert, adequate detection as well as treatment”.

The statement also quoted the minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to visit the community.

“Creation of awareness on Lassa fever by the health educators in the 57 LGAs/LCDAs”.

The latest outbreak is said to be the worst of the virus in Nigeria in the past four years.

The death patient was said to have been rushed to the National Hospital after eight days in a private hospital in Kubwa, a satellite town in FCT.

Also yesterday, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) called on government to improve response mechanism to ensure rapid response to disease outbreaks. Abdulrahman Nasidi, who spoke to THISDAY, explained that the cases of Bauchi and Kano States could be spared, but Niger State government and its health officials were culpable.

“Ambulances have been dedicated to respond to referral and transportation of cases”.

“We should not indulge in self medication”. Its general symptoms may include general malaise, weakness, and headache in mild cases but quickly adds that when untreated, the infection may progress to respiratory distress, bleeding in the gums, repeated vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back and abdomen as well as shock.

The Rivers State chapter of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has appealed to the Rivers State Government and the Federal Government to expedite action in containing the spread of Lassa fever across Rivers State and Nigeria.

He said: “It has not reached that stage”.

A report by an online newspaper, The Cable, cited the Minister of Health, Prof.

At least 44 people have died from Lassa fever in Nigeria with the death toll expected to rise, underscoring the difficulty in combating deadly viruses in a region still reeling from Ebola.

He said the ministry would support all states and local councils in the training of health workers in the affected states, adding that there was need for further investigation of all the reported cases.

Akinola told THISDAY that “what he said in response to a question by the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health was that post-2012 Lassa outbreak, a committee set up by government to look into the issue and how to address came up with a report which was not implemented”.