A patient on admission at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, has tested positive to Lassa fever, the State Government announced on Monday.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Olurotimi Ojo, who broke the news in Ado Ekiti at the stakeholders meeting on Lassa fever, said the state’s medical team was working hard to save the patient, who has already been isolated at the hospital.
Ojo said the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Lawrence Ayodele, had confirmed to him that the patient was a student of the School of Nursing at the teaching hospital.
He revealed that the patient had been treated for malaria and typhoid fever with high profile antibiotics, but did not respond to treatment. Further laboratory investigation eventually came out positive to the disease.
“Over the weekend, the state had confirmed a case of Lassa fever that is being managed at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti. Treatment has commenced and the patient is stable,” Dr. Ojo said.
“Immediately the patient was diagnosed and confirmed, the management began the process of contact tracing. Once you have an index case, there is tendency of having a primary case and possible spread and this could be dangerous.
“Though, the doctors are handling the situation and monitoring the situation very closely . So, nobody has been quarantined after the contact tracing.”
Ojo added that Governor Ayodele Fayose had already prepared an isolated ward within the premises of Oba Adejugbe General Hospital, Ado Ekiti, even before the outbreak of the disease in the State.
“However, the situation is being curtailed with the efforts from the State government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation, through the office of the National Centre for Disease Control,” he added.
“The governor is also embarking on public and town-to-town sensitisation about Lassa fever through the airing of jingles on the state broadcasting corporation and distribution of IEC materials to the people.”
He advised the people of the state to take precautionary measures and refrain from taking risk that can lead to the contact or spread of the disease.
