Apparently disturbed by perceived prevalence of the deadly haemorrhagic fever popularly known as Lassa Fever in Abeokuta metropolis, the capital of Ogun state, the Ogun state government has taken frantic steps to combat Lassa fever spreading like wide fire, prompting the Ministry of Health to place 396 people who are primary and secondary contacts under surveillance.
The Ogun state government took a frantic approach to curb the prevalence of the contagious disease by quarantining and placing under survillance the suspected Lassa fever contacts, having recorded deaths of two persons, including Bolanle Adesuyi, the Assistant Chief Nursing Officer of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta whom had had 396 primary and secondary contacts before she later died on Monday.
Speaking on clinical effort of the State government to control resurgence of Lassa fever in Abeokuta on Friday, Babatunde Ipaye, Commissioner for Health declared that government is taking various clinical measures to curb the spread of the deadly disease which had made government to quarantine and place 396 people under serveillance in Abeokuta in order to forestall any eventualities in case they develop symptoms of the deadly disease.
Ipaye said that the primary contacts are majorly members of the late victim’s family, while the secondary contacts are the victim’s co-workers in the hospital particularly those in her department.
The Commissioner said “so far none of the contacts have shown abnormal temperature since they began monitoring”, he added that the medical officers attached to each of the contacts would continue to monitor until the specified period in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard was exceeded before they could be medically adjudged to be free of the disease.
“All the 396 contacts have not shown any abnormal symptoms or signs of Lassa fever, their temperature is under control and we have stationed our monitoring officer with each of the contacts to continue monitoring throughout a specific period in line with the World Health Organisation standard,” he said.
While urging members of the public not to panic, the Health Commissioner assured that government was on top of the situation. He however advised the people to cultivate high level of hygiene and keep their food away from rats.
Ipaye however, advised members of the public to report any case of malaria symptoms that may have exceeded three days to the nearest General Hospital, the Ministry of Health, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta or call the following dedicated lines; 09099140121 and 09099140122.
