David Eseigbe is a medical doctor with over 10 years’ experience relating to Lassa fever patients.
Lassa fever virus may be spread through faeces of the multimmate rat or humans having direct contact with blood, urine, faeces, or other bodily secretions of a person infected with the fever. According to the World Health Organisation, there is no epidemiological evidence supporting airborne spread between humans. However, sexual transmission of the Lassa virus has also been reported.
“Having knowledge of the disease, the harm and the side effect of the drugs, I was distraught,” he recalled his immediate reaction. He said he was always kitted up when attending to his patients because he understands the harm the disease can cause, having lost friends and colleagues to the disease during his university days in Edo State.
Mr Eseigbe said he was one of the physicians in charge of treatment and his centre operated one of the best IPC expected in such situations, as the health workers were aware of how deadly the disease is. There are many other survivors of the disease in Nigeria. The disease can be managed if cases are detected and treated early.
Mr Alamkura said he contacted the disease from his deceased son who was convulsing and he dipped his hands into his mouth to prevent it from closing. “As at the time, there was no laboratory to test for the virus in Nigeria. My sample was sent to a laboratory in Atlanta, Georgia. When my result came I was positive. I was later told by the doctors that my infection was as a result of the bite when my son was in a fit,” he said.
According to an epidemiological report of the NCDC, Nigeria recorded the highest number of Lassa fever cases in the history of the country in 2018. That year, 3498 suspected cases were reported from 23 states. Of these, 633 were confirmed positive, 20 probable and 2853 negative. A total of 171 deaths were recorded from the confirmed cases.report on the disease
Mr Tomori, a professor of virology, lamented that 50 years after the first case of Lassa fever was discovered in Nigeria, the county is still struggling to cope with the disease.He said Lassa fever has been making “mincemeat and sausage rolls of Nigerians” because the country has refused to fund science and grow knowledge against the disease.
Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: Daily Trust - 🏆 13. / 51 Read more »
Source: LeadershipNGA - 🏆 4. / 77 Read more »