Nigeria: Lassa fever outbreak kills 149 to date in 23 states, 273 cases

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.africanews.com/2016/01/06...s-at-least-26/


Nigeria: Lassa fever outbreak kills at least 26
3 hours ago
Health

Close to 26 people have died following a Lassa fever outbreak which has affected seven states in Nigeria.

The head of Nigeria?s Centre for Disease Control has also announced that 150 others have been infected.

The numbers could rise as health officials continue carrying out tests in the affected areas...

[Pathfinder]

Lassa fever kills 35, infects 76, says FG

January 7, 2016

The Federal Government has put the number of reported cases of Lassa Fever outbreak in eight states at 76 with 35 deaths already recorded and 14 cases confirmed by laboratories.

The government, which said measures had been put in place to curtail further spread and reduce mortality among those affected, however, ruled out placing travel restrictions from and to areas currently affected.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who stated this in a statement he issued on Wednesday in Abuja, in response to the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the country, added that ?the World Health Organisation is being notified of the cases confirmed.?
...

http://www.punchng.com/lassa-fever-kills-35-infects-76-says-fg/

[Pathfinder]

Govt raises concern over fresh Lassa fever outbreak, as virus spreads to eight states

By Emeka Anuforo, Abuja on January 7, 2016 5:04 am

THERE is growing concern over resurgence of Lassa fever outbreak in some parts of the country, as at least eight states are now affected.
...
Director, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, told The Guardian yesterday that government had launched an investigation into the outbreak.

?We are investigating the cases. We are also investigating the Rivers State cases?, he said.

Also, he said the Federal Ministry of Health had dispatched medical personnel, drugs and supplies to assist the affected states in containing the situation.

A statement issued yesterday by Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole indicated that eight states had experienced Lassa fever outbreak in the last six weeks in Nigeria.

The affected states listed were Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Edo and Oyo states. The minister gave the total number of suspected cases so far reported as 76 with 35 deaths.
...

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2016/01/govt-raises-concern-over-fresh-lassa-fever-outbreak-as-virus-spreads-to-eight-states/

[Pathfinder]

Lassa fever: 60 under surveillance in Rivers

January 7, 2016
...
Odagme?s disclosure is coming barely one week after a mother and her two-week baby died of disease, said to be caused by infected rats.

He explained that 12 medical personnel, who attended to the deceased had also been placed under surveillance.
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He said, ?We have placed the health personnel who attended to the woman and her baby that died last week under surveillance. We have also placed some secondary contacts that had contacts with the deceased during the naming ceremony of the baby who died two days after the death of the mother under surveillance.
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?The list from the husband of the deceased woman is also being generated and that will be over 50. We already have some of them under observation. We are searching for all those who have had secondary contacts with the health personnel, including family members and friends who had primary and secondary contacts with the victims.

?For now, we do not have any symptomatic case...
...

http://www.punchng.com/22211-2/

[Pathfinder]

Lassa fever kills forty in ten states ? Health minister

on January 08, 2016 / in News 3:41 pm /

Forty people have died in Nigeria in a suspected outbreak of Lassa fever in 10 states across the country, Health Minister Isaac Adewole said Friday.

?The total number (of suspected cases) reported is 86 and 40 deaths, with a mortality rate of 43.2 percent,? Adewole told a news conference in the capital, Abuja.

The minister said that so far, laboratory tests have confirmed that 22 of the 86 suspected cases were Lassa fever and results were expected on the remainder.

Seven of the affected states are in the north ? Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Plateau and Gombe ? while the remaining three are in the south ? Rivers, Edo and Oyo ? he added.

The first case of the disease was recorded last November in Bauchi state. Cases were then reported in Kano and elsewhere.
...

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/lassa-fever-kills-forty-in-ten-states-health-minister/

[Pathfinder]

Benue suspends eating of rats over Lassa Fever

January 12, 2016

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Benue State Government has directed its citizens to stop the eating of rats in the meantime in order to curtail the spread of Lassa Fever.
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Ortom said the decision was taken because the state had recorded a case of the fever.

Rat is a delicacy popular among the people of the state.

The governor said, ?Benue is affected; we have one case of Lassa Fever right now that is under control.
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http://www.punchng.com/benue-suspends-eating-of-rats-over-lassa-fever-2/

[Shiloh]

Source: http://ynaija.com/lassa-fever-11-sta...aths-reported/


Lassa fever: 11 states affected, 42 deaths reported [DETAILS]
Guest and Op-Ed Editor January 12, 2016

The recent wave of Lassa fever in the country has affected more than ten states, with 85 reported cases and 42 deaths including two recent deaths in Ondo state, bringing the total number of states affected to eleven.

The states affected are: Bauchi, Taraba, Niger, Kano, Rivers, Edo, Nassarawa, Plateau, Oyo, Gombe and Ondo states...

[Ronan Kelly]

Nigeria?s capital, Abuja, records Lassa fever death
January 13, 2016Premium Times

Nigerian health authorities have announced the death of a Lassa fever victim in Abuja, the first fatality in the nation?s capital since the latest outbreak in November 2015.
The minister of health, Isaac Adewole, made the announcement Wednesday evening at the National Hospital, the press director, Boade Akinola, at the health ministry, said in a statement.
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The 33-year-old newly married lived in Jos, Plateau State, but travelled to see a family member in Kubwa because of his illness. He however died within 24hours of presentation at the national hospital.
The statement said the minister had directed that all primary and secondary contacts of the victim, including the staff of the private hospital in Kubwa, an Abuja suburb, where the deceased was first managed for one week before referral to National Hospital, be tracked.
...

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/196722-breaking-nigerias-capital-abuja-records-first-lassa-fever-death.html

[Shiloh]

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20..._135013946.htm


Death toll from Nigeria Lassa fever outbreak rises to 45
Source: Xinhua 2016-01-15 21:05:36

ABUJA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from an outbreak of Lassa fever spreading in 10 states across Nigeria has risen to 45, local officials say.

Two people were confirmed dead late Thursday in the southwestern state of Ondo, where 31 others have been quarantined following the development, says the Ministry of Health.

A doctor who treated patients of Lassa fever at a hospital in Rivers state died from the virus, said Furo Green, the chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association in Rivers.

Nigeria's capital Abuja recorded its first death from the virus this week...

[Gert van der Hoek]

LASSA FEVER OUTBREAK IN NIGERIA

Daily Situation Report No. 6: 14 January, 2016

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

Highlights:

i. No new confirmed cases today

ii. 1 death reported in a confirmed case in Rivers state, contact tracing and decontamination ongoing.

iii. 11 suspected cases were reported in the following 5 states: Ondo (1); Nassarawa (1), Ekiti (1), Rivers (3) and Niger (5)

iv. The suspected cases reported from Delta and Oyo yesterday, tested negative to Lassa fever and other VHFs v. 1 new rumour is being investigated in Oyo state.

vi. Outbreak investigation is ongoing in the states and retrospective cases which fit the standard case definition for suspected case are being updated

vii. Surveillance officers from NCDC deployed to priority states to support outbreak investigation and reporting

Epidemiologic summary: Suspected Cases: 140, Confirmed: 30 Deaths: 53 (CFR: 37.86%)

READ MORE

[Gert van der Hoek]

LASG places Ahmmadiyyah Hospital under surveillance over Lassa fever

• By Online Editor on January 16, 2016

The Lagos State Government (LASG) on Saturday said that it had placed under surveillance Ahmmadiyyah Hospital, Ojokoro, a Lagos suburb, where the patient with the first Lassa fever virus case was first admitted.

This is contained in a statement released by Dr Jide Idris, the Lagos State commissioner for Health and made available to news men.

“Ahmmadiyyah Hospital where the first case of the disease in Lagos was reported is now under surveillance and there will be no service delivery in the facility until further notice,’’ he said.

Idris added that the 15 in-patients and other 25 health workers in the facility were being monitored.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Delta Confirms First Case Of Lassa Fever


— Jan 18, 2016

The Ministry of Health in Delta on Monday announced that it had confirmed the first case of Lassa fever in the state.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Churchill Oyewo, Public Relations Officer of the ministry and issued to newsmen in Asaba.
The statement said that the index case occurred after a 65-year-old woman from neigbouring Anambra was admitted at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Asaba.

It said that the woman was referred to Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, when her conditioned worsened.

The statement said that the case was later confirmed as Lassa fever at the Virology Laboratory, Specialist Hospital, Irrua, Edo.

The ministry said that following the discovery, the state Rapid Response Team immediately placed 22 persons who had contact with the woman on surveillance.

It added that five other samples had been sent for laboratory investigation, adding that the ministry had informed the Federal Ministry of Health on the development.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Lassa Fever hits Ekiti

Monday, 18 Jan 2016

The outbreak of hemorrhagic fevers, Lassa, that is currently posing threat to the nation?s health sector has been reported in Ekiti State. Already, a patient who was tested positive to the infection on Saturday is now on admission at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Olurotimi Ojo, who broke the sad news in Ado Ekiti yesterday at the Stakeholders meeting on Lassa Fever , said the patient is currently being isolated at the hospital, while efforts were being made by experts to effect 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 School of Nursing, a training arm of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti.

The Commissioner, who revealed that the disease has been endemic , particularly in Borno State since 1969, said the patient was said to have been treated for Malaria and Typhoid fever with high profile antibiotics , but did not respond to treatment .

?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. ?Though, the doctors are handling the situation and monitoring the situation very closely . So, nobody has been quarantined after the contact tracing?, he said.

[Gert van der Hoek]

Lassa fever claims 63, spreads to 17 states – Minister


January 20, 2016


Federal Government said yesterday that Lassa fever has claimed 63 lives out of 212 suspected cases reported from 62 local government areas in 17 affected states.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, confirmed this at the emergency National Council of Health meeting in Abuja on the outbreak of the disease. Adewole listed the 17 affected states as Bauchi, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Plateau, Gombe, Nasarawa, Lagos, Delta, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Zamfara and Kogi as well as the FCT.

He said there is high level of denial and conspiracy across some states, adding that health managers should not deceive executives by the pretence and silence. The minister described the denial of Ebonyi State to report five suspected cases and one death as conspiracy of denial. He said every state should consider itself at risk and put measures to contain and prevent the disease.


More details: Lassa Fever Spreads to 17 States, Could Kill 1,000 Nigerians

[Shiloh]

Source: http://pulse.ng/health/lassa-fever-d...id4584019.html


Lassa Fever
Disease could kill 1000 Nigerians ? Health Minister
He also described the outbreak as a national embarrassment while urging health practitioners not to hide cases in their respective states.
Published: 16.35 , Refreshed: 16.38 'Jola Sotubo

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has reportedly warned that the current Lassa fever outbreak could kill 1000 Nigerians if not urgently checked.

He also described the outbreak as a national embarrassment while urging health practitioners not to hide cases in their respective states, ThisDay reports.

Professor Adewole made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday, January 19, 2016, during the Emergency National Council on Health meeting with state Commissioners of Health and other stakeholders in the sector...