Lassa fever spreads to Ogun

Ogun state has recorded its first case of Lassa fever in the current outbreak of virus in the country.

Babatunde Ipaye, commissioner for health, disclosed this at a press briefing on Thursday, saying 60 persons had been placed under observation.

Ipaye said the victim, a 28 year-old woman, residing in Ota in Ado-Odo Ota local government area, contacted the disease when she travelled to Ebonyi.

“I want to confirm that the first Lassa fever casualty has been recorded in the state,” he said.

“The case is from a 28 years old girl, an indigene of Ogun state. She travelled to Ebonyi state on 8 January, 2016 to attend a burial ceremony. We don’t know what killed the person.

“She returned back to the state on the 15th of January. Few days after her return, she started having fever. She reported at Rubi hospital, Ota on 25th of January. Her case was managed there for some days till 2 February before she was transferred to Central hospital, Ota.

“Immediately, she got to the hospital, they called us to report to us because the symptom revealed the disease.

“Without wasting much time, we swung into action and we took her blood sample and sent to it to LUTH, Lagos. The first result came in around 5:10pm yesterday and the second result came in around 8pm. I spoke directly with Prof. Adelabu myself, the medical director there and he confirmed it to me and immediately, we started diagnosis.”

Ipaye reveled that the victim has been transferred to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH).

“We contacted the OOUTH team and she has been moved to the isolation unit of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, OOUTH, Sagamu,” he said.

“She has passed through two different hospitals; we have ordered the closure of the two hospitals. We will decontaminate them before opening to avoid contamination.”