Woman Test Positive To Lassa Fever In Ogun

A 28-year-old woman in Ogun State has tested positive to Lassa fever, the Commissioner for Health, Babatunde Ipaye has said.

Ipaye made the disclosure on Thursday, February 4, 2016, at a news briefing in Abeokuta, the state capital.

“The case is a 28-year-old woman, an indigene of the state. She travelled to Ebonyi State on January 8 to attend a funeral,” he said.

“She returned to the state on January 15. Few days later, she developed a fever. She reported at Rubi Hospital, Ota on January 25. Her case was managed there for some days till February 2 when she was transferred to Central Hospital, Ota.

“Immediately, she was admitted, the hospital called us to report that her symptoms matched the disease. We took her blood sample and sent to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba.

“The first result came in around 5:10pm yesterday and the second result came in around 8pm. I spoke to the medical director and he confirmed it to me and immediately, we started treatment.

“We contacted the OOUTH team and she has been moved to the isolation unit and is being aggressively managed. The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, sent 10 ribavirin anti-viral drugs to begin treatment.

“We have ordered the closure of the two hospitals, where the patient was first admitted. We will decontaminate them before reopening,” he added.

Ipaye also said that the 19 persons who were earlier suspected of having the disease had been cleared after the usual incubation period of the virus had passed.