Lassa fever: One patient escapes from hospital in Ebonyi

The Federal Government said on Tuesday that Lassa fever has claimed 63 lives out of 212 suspected reported cases from 62 local government areas in 17 affected states.


Minister of Health Prof. He noted that 17 states have been affected. The state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, assured the residents of the state on the containment of Lassa fever at the 2nd quarterly town hall meeting he addressed at Lagos City Hall, Lagos Island yesterday.


The minister said he received a text that a Lassa fever patient escaped from a health facility in Ebonyi while undergoing treatment.

There is no known vaccine for the virus, leaving the only way of preventing it as being far away from the vector of the virus that causes it - rats - as much as possible.


 It is better to over-count suspected cases than to
under-count. An atmosphere of fear had enveloped
the Obafemi Awolowo University community as news of the doctor's demise filtered around.

A medical doctor in the hospital who preferred anonymity told THISDAY that the doctor had visited Ekiti State before arriving Ile-Ife on Monday.

Though the authorities of the teaching hospital admitted the death of the doctor, they, however, debunked the insinuations that the doctor died of Lassa Fever virus.

Adewole called on states to strengthen their surveillance systems, report cases and collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health for the successful implementation of the response strategy.

Adedeji Onayade confirmed the death of the resident doctor but said the fact that the doctor's ailment had symptoms similar to those of Lassa fever did not confirm him a victim of the deadly virus.

Onayade stressed that blood sample of the late
doctor had been obtained and sent to the federal
government for confirmation. Akinpelu-Aina, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Health, stated that this had become necessary, following the increasing number of casualties of the disease.

 Also, the ministries of Information, Health and Environment have begun a massive sensitization exercise on the state owned electronic media on the
lassa outbreak.