The Rivers State Ministry of Well being has confirmed the dying of 1 individual in a contemporary outbreak of Lassa Fever within the state.
The state Commissioner for Well being, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, who disclosed this in Port Harcourt, mentioned the incident adopted 4 instances introduced to the College Hospital of Port Harcourt.
Oreh mentioned whereas one of many instances was confirmed after the affected person's dying, the opposite three instances have been handled and the sufferers have been reunited with their households.
She mentioned: “That is certainly one of 42 suspected instances, of which 31 characterize symptomatic high-risk contacts of the confirmed instances. A complete of 72 contacts have been positioned beneath supervision and 30 of them have already left the follow-up program after the obligatory incubation interval had expired.
“One other 42 will go away on February 26. All 18 high-risk contacts obtained preventive therapies and are doing very effectively. Whereas 27 samples have returned damaging, we’re nonetheless anticipating outcomes from the remaining eleven samples from suspected instances.”
Dr. Oreh mentioned a mixed group of stakeholders within the well being sector is working to guard lives and warranted Rivers folks of the state authorities’s dedication to containing the Lassa Fever outbreak.
“The group from the Ministry of Well being, College of Port Harcourt Instructing Hospital, Niger Heart for Illness Management and stakeholders of the multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral public well being emergency operations centre, together with the World Well being Group, are working diligently and synergistically to safeguard of lives throughout this outbreak.
“I guarantee you of our joint and dedicated efforts to comprise this outbreak as rapidly as attainable. “I wish to inform you that the federal government has taken this problem sternly,” the Commissioner added.
She additional mentioned that the federal government has enough sources and supplies to comprise the outbreak of the illness and urged the general public to at all times promote hygiene locally.
The Commissioner mentioned: “All healthcare facilities are kindly suggested to take care of easy pilot methods for all sufferers and keep the usual an infection prevention ideas required for service supply.”
Subsequently, she suggested the general public to “hold meals and water lined to keep away from contamination by rodents. Retailer grains and different meals in rodent-proof containers. Eliminate waste correctly and guarantee a clear family and atmosphere.”
