An outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic virus Lassa at the Federal Medical Center in Jalingo has killed at least 13 people since its detection a week ago in Taraba state, Xinhua reported.

The outbreak of the virus has forced the management of the medical center to close some of its units.

The virus is transmitted primarily though contact with rat excreta.

Mustapha Hamman-Gabdo, the Taraba state commissioner for health, said some people admitted to the centre for different ailments were later diagnosed with Lassa fever.

He said that a female medical doctor, Aisha Isa died on Sunday at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital while Amina Abdullahi, a nurse died in Jalingo on Monday. Both of them were staff of the center.

The commissioner said that the state government is already taking steps to control the outbreak.

http://www.channelstv.com/global/news_details.php?nid=31451&cat=Local


Reports from taraba indicates that their is a lasa fever epidemic there and that over 13 people have died since last week including a youth corper. The specialist hospital in jalingo has been closed due to the infection. NEMA is said to be moving those infected to benin for treatment since taraba state does not have the facility to handle the infection. But a question to think of is why cant NEMA move facilities needed to the state instead of moving the patients to distant benin city since the delay due to transportation is also reducing chances of survival.

Heard some of the infected people; one of them a corp member migrated and came back to Port Harcourt and in the process of being treated at UPTH infected a nurse who is presently dead.

this is horrible!

at an FMC for that matter! They can't keep the place clean enough for lassa fever? How will they cope with something like mrsa?

This gov.t should be shamed!

AM NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR THIS, THE NAME SEF- "JALINGO" DE "TARABA "

EPELE, SORRY, SANNU

If a hospital that should be the least place of contacting diseases is now d first place of contacting d illness, then wat happens to our living quarters?

If some part of the money stolen by politicians and civil servants would have been used to Purchase and stack drugs at our various hospitals drugs. may be many lives would have been saved today. God's judgment is at hand, so they should watch out.

Basic hygiene is the only way to curbed this spread. The environmental officers should be recruited to ensure compliance to cleanness in all around and streets.

The whole hospital is being fumigated as we speak.

you guys wont stop to amaze me

Its not the hospital or its state of cleanliness, But the fact that hospitals remain the last resort for infected individuals.the late DR was my class mate.

@ ujustice', pls accept my sympathies. May her soul rest in peace

why situations is just been getting worse is northern states Is it cos of their sin or wot?

, @ujustice. . .Am sorry for your loss. . .May her soul and the souls of the other victims rest in peace, amen. . . . .

Our polithiefcians will loot and loot yet no single hospital of international standard. . . We should have hospitals of international standard where african leaders can go for treatments of all kind any time, any day. . . . God bless nigeria!!,

lassa fever is so deadly and spreads so far and so fast if unchecked. Lord help us.

badesco:

If some part of the money stolen by politicians and civil servants would have been used to Purchase and stack drugs at our various hospitals drugs. may be many lives would have been saved today. God's judgment is at hand, so they should watch out.

God bless you- little money removed from GEJs expensive diet will be enough to curb Lassa fever. It's spread via inhaling rat feaces for christ sake! Its not like Aids or HIV, human interactions you cant control! Deadly rats you can!

babaowo:

why situations is just been getting worse is northern states Is it cos of their sin or wot?

It has also claimed the Life of one Dr Femi Fakorede, a House officer and a pregent Female Doctor induced to deliver a 34 weeks baby. It is a disease that is Commom to West Africa.

@ujustice i know her too,she is my senoir in medical school ABU, i.e Dr A. S,is very sad indeed, may her soul rest in perfect peace amin.

Too bad that Nigeria will never learn to prepare for emergencies.I can remember how a senior student died of lassa fever back  in the uni. You will not believe that the drugs were not available in the entire Nigeria;a country that has been recording the occurrence of this disease and deaths.I have never heard of it happening in the US ,but they (the family of the boy)found the drug in the US.The worst of it they said they (the Americans)could not release it because it was not prescribed by an American Doctor.Now people are dieing again and it is going to take ages before they get new supplies to save lives.I am hundred percent sure that there were provisions for it in the national budget.What a shame!

queensmith:

God bless you- little money removed from GEJs expensive diet will be enough to curb Lassa fever. It's spread via inhaling rat feaces for christ sake! Its not like Aids or HIV, human interactions you cant control! Deadly rats you can!

You should have read more where you got that info.

Look at this scenario!

A pregnant presents with a condition that requires immediate surgery to save her and the baby due to impending multiple organ failure. Surgery was carried out. It was later found out that the lady who died had lassa fever. Doctors involved in the surgery are all showing signs.

Body fluids from humans facilitate transmission and that is the reason why the doctors and health staff who are in contact with affected patients are at high risk.
I have seen this ailment eliminate people people the cause death is known. It comes in like a burglar and before the alarm does off, it would have recorded many casualties.
RIP

Our Nigerian society is too backward. We are worse than many poorer countries in African when it comes to talking about health related issues.

we keep deceiving ourselves and reap the consequences thereof.

†ђǝ north should pls keep their epidemics to themselves and not bring them to †ђǝ south. Infact why Wȋ̊ℓℓ they want †• brings those affected to Benin City, are their not better hospitals else where? Why Wȋ̊ℓℓ they be experiencing all sort disaster every now & if not dat its †ђǝ wrath of God dat is upon their head. They should pls suffer it alone O, we no want wahala here

Sorry for †ђǝ little mistake in my previous post, I was in haste. I can't even correct them now cos i am posting from a blackberry. Make una bear with M̶̲̅ε̲̣̣̣̥, thanks

agabaI23:

You should have read more where you got that info.

Look at this scenario!

A pregnant presents with a condition that requires immediate surgery to save her and the baby due to impending multiple organ failure. Surgery was carried out. It was later found out that the lady who died had lassa fever. Doctors involved in the surgery are all showing signs.

Body fluids from humans facilitate transmission and that is the reason why the doctors and health staff who are in contact with affected patients are at high risk.
I have seen this ailment eliminate people people the cause death is known. It comes in like a burglar and before the alarm does off, it would have recorded many casualties.
RIP

Ok- are we exaggerating lassa fever now? Are we making it out to be worst than aids? calling it a thief in the night? seriously i have to ask myself why i bother. I really do. In the year 2012, nigeria is struggling with preventable diseases. It kills like 7000 people you cannot possibly make it worse than it is.

@Daroz, how childish your thinking is. You mean disasters only occur in the north? Let's be fair and reasonable in our thinking. I don't have the time, else I would have enlightened you. Be reasonable dude.

^^ You cannot compare HIV and lassa. Lassa fever is more contagious than HIV. My point is cleanliness in the hospital alone will only keep away rats but will keep out lassa patients. Important thing is preparedness. There has been little or no awareness in most hospitals in the country so there is little or no preparedness. First major outbreak was in Ekpoma in Edo. Now, Nru is referral centre.
HIV cannot be contacted from saliva but one can pick lassa from the splashes of saliva released when someone is talking.

Lassa fever is endemic in some parts of West Africa including Nigeria. Epidemics occur in some states in Nigeria including Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Lagos, Adamawa etc. The disease is endemic in some parts of Edo State. The national lassa fever treatment centre is in Irrua Teaching Hospital, Edo State. The disease is usually diagnosed late because it presents intially like other febrile illnesses like malaria, typhoid fever, respiratory tract infections etc. The disease is treated with intravenous ribavirin over a period of 10 days. The disease can be prevented by personal and environmental hygiene, killing of rats, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by health workers, isolation and barrier nursing of infected patients. Following the death of health workers the management of Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo has closed down the Accident and Emergency unit, some wards and the theatre for fumigation. There are plans to set up a management centre in the hospital. A treatment camp has been set up in Mayo-Reno, Ardo-Kola L.G.A., Taraba State where most of the infected patients came from. There is need for hospital managements and governments at all levels to be proactive especially in release of funds for the control of the epidemic. Proactive measures would have reduced the number of deaths including those of the health workers.

Lassa Fever Causes

Lassa fever is a grave health concern because it can cause a very severe potentially fatal illness, is highly contagious and can spread like wildfire. The Lassa virus has been found in a rodent known as the "multimammate rat" of the genus Mastomys. The virus enters the bloodstream, lymph vessels, and respiratory and digestive tracts. After this, it multiplies in cells ofthe reticuloendothelial system. People may also contract a 'sub-clinical' infection, whereby they do not exhibit symptoms, but may remain able to transmit the disease.

People may become be infected by eating this infected rat or by eating food contaminated by rat excretions. Person-to-person transmission also occurs by direct contact, contamination of skin breaks with infected blood, and aerosol spreads. The virus that causes Lassa fever is related to others which result in haemorrhagic fever, such as Ebola and Marburg.

Lassa Fever Symptoms

Eight out of 10 people infected with the virus develop either mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all. The symptoms of lassa fever are so varied and nonspecific. The first symptoms of the disease typically occur in between 1-3 weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus. The most common long-term complication of Lassa fever is deafness.

The other symptoms of the lassa fever may be included:

Fever
Chills
Rigors
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Cough
Tinnitus
Epistaxis
Back pain
Sore throat
Facial swelling
Abdominal pain
Eye inflammation
Retrosternal pain
General weakness

spread like wildfire?

spead like wildfire? SERIOUSLY??