Ekiti Student Nurse gets Lassa Fever infection
By; Oladele Adedayo, Ado-Ekiti.
A Student of School of Nursing, a training arm of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI) in Ekiti state has been confirmed tested positive to the Lassa fever infection making it one index case recorded in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olurotimi Ojo, who broke the sad news in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital at the Stakeholders meeting on Lassa Fever, said the patient is currently being isolated at the Teaching Hospital, while efforts were being made by experts to ensure that she survives.
Dr. Ojo added that he had confirmed from the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Lawrence Ayodele, who confirmed that the patient was a student of the arm of the Health institution.
The Commissioner said the patient was said to have been treated for Malaria and Typhoid fever with high profile antibiotics, but did not respond to treatment.
He said the situation had given room for suspicion and further diagnostic steps, where the patient was said to have tested positive to the disease.
According to him, “Over the weekend, the state had confirmed a case of Lassa fever that is being managed at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti. The patient is stable and had commenced treatment.
“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.
“The Doctors are handling the situation and monitoring the
situation very closely. So, nobody has been quarantined after the contact tracing”, he said.
Ojo added that the State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose had already prepared an isolated ward within the premises of Oba Adejugbe General Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, even before the breakout of the disease in the State.
“However, the situation is being curtailed by 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.
“The governor is also embarking on public and town-to-town sensitization 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.
