Nigeria - Lagos dispatches experts as mysterious disease kills 25 children in Lekki - Lagos state - February 17, 2016- Measles Confirmed

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos_State

Lagos dispatches experts as mysterious disease kills 25 children in Lekki

3 HOURS AGO by STAFF

February 17 18:09 2016

The Lagos State Government says its medical experts have been despatched to Otodo-Gbame Community in Ikate, Lekki area, to unravel the mysterious disease that killed no fewer than 25 children.

Mrs Adeola Salako, the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health, made this known in an interview the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to her, no further death has been recorded since Feb. 10 when the team of epidemiological investigation led by epidemiologists from the state Ministry of Health had commenced investigation.

She said that the ministry responded immediately news about the strange disease was received, adding that the team was despatched to the community on Feb. 10.

?We have already responded as some epidemiologists have been sent to take samples of water and blood from some of the children to know what the cause is.
...
http://www.theheraldng.com/lagos-dispatches-experts-as-mysterious-disease-kills-25-children/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Strange disease kills 25 children in Lagos
February 17, 2016


Residents of Otodo-Gbame Community in Ikate, Lekki, Lagos State, are battling to save their children from a strange disease which has claimed the lives of no fewer than 25 children in the area.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the yet-to-be-identified disease, which started in January 2016, has brought panic to the predominantly Egun community, as the affected children developed rashes similar to measles, and usually died two to three days after.

Our correspondent gathered that some families, most of whom work as fishermen and fish sellers, lost two to three children each while the disease ravaged the area in January and first week of February.
...
Speaking with PUNCH Metro, a woman, Anago Benedict, who lost three of her children to the disease, and gave their names as Taiye, Kehinde and Jisine, said apart from the rashes on their bodies, they also vomited blood before they died.
...
Some of the symptoms we saw were swollen private parts and high temperature. We call it Ina oru. In the afternoon, she would play, but in the evening, her body would become hot.
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http://www.punchng.com/vaccine-preventable-disease-kills-25-children-in-lagos/

 

[sharon sanders]

Please also see:

Nigeria: 'Strange' Disease Kills 10 in Kebbi State - WHO team on the ground - and possible 9 cases of suspected Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM)

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/strange-outbreak-hit-lagos-community/

Strange outbreak hit Lagos community
Posted By: Oyeyemi Gbega-Mustaphaon: February 19, 2016

An outbreak described as fatal febrile rash illnesses has been recorded in Otodo Gbame community in Eti-Osa LGA, area of Lagos State.

It was identified by the Medical Officer of Health of the LGA on the 9th February. The report indicated that many children died as a result of the outbreak.

Already 20 children had died as the cause of the outbreak remains unknown, just as 34 cases of sick children with described as Febrile Rash Illnesses (FRI) have been line listed.

The fatality of the outbreak was also confirmed as the graves of 20 children who died from the FRI since the day of onset of signs and symptoms in the first case on 6th January 2016, were identified by their parents.

Thirty-Four cases have been listed so far with 17 males and 17 females. 17 dead patients have been identified with nine males and eight females. All are within the age range of eight to 72 months.

Health Commissioner, Lagos, Dr Jide Idris said his ministry has notified the Federal Ministry of health (FMOH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and immediately constituted a team of Epidemiologists to investigate the outbreak and institute appropriate measures to prevent further spread of the disease...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Published Date: 2016-02-20 04:43:21
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed illness - Nigeria: (LA) fatal, RFI
Archive Number: 20160220.4035781
UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESS - NIGERIA: (LAGOS) FATAL, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** *******************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Wed 17 Feb 2016
Source: Naij.com [edited]
https://www.naij.com/733383-dozens-c...ase-lagos.html


25 children die from mystery disease in Lagos
---------------------------------------------
More than 2 dozen children have died from a mystery disease in Lagos state. The local community in the affected area has never encountered anything like this outbreak before. Health workers have been dispatched to the scene and a containment operation is under way.

Residents of Otodo-Gbame community in Ikate, Lekki, Lagos state, are battling to save their children from a mystery disease which has claimed the lives of 25 children in the area.

Some medical professionals believe the disease to be measles as the affected children developed rashes and usually died 2 to 3 days afterwards. Some families, most of whom work as fishermen and fish merchants, lost 2-3 children each when the disease ravaged the area in January and the 1st week of February [2016]. Health workers from the Eti-Osa local government area visited the community last Wed [17 Feb 2016] and started an immunization programme for local children.

[...]

One mother, who lost three of her children to the disease, said that apart from the rashes on their bodies, they also vomited blood before they died. "My children fell sick in the 1st week of February. The disease is ravaging our area, and we did not have anyone to run to," she said, and continued: "My children were killed by the disease. They were vomiting blood. I did not know what name to call the disease."

Another woman, mother of 1 of the 2 children that died on Wed [17 Feb 2016], said her girl was ill for only 2 days. "She was 2 years old. She died on Wednesday in the presence of the health workers. She was sick for only 2 days.

Local residents in Otodo-Gbame remain terrified for their children. [One man reported:] "In the night, she could not sleep. Some of the symptoms we saw were swollen private parts and high temperature. We call it Ina oru. In the afternoon, she would play, but in the evening, her body would become hot. I work as a fisherman, and I was born in this community. Nothing of such had happened in our area before now. A family lost up to 3 children to the disease. That is why we appeal to the state government to give us a hospital."

The Lagos health ministry said it had sent epidemiologists to the community to verify the outbreak. The ministry's spokesperson, Mrs Adeola Salako, said blood samples and other body fluids had been collected for examination. "An epidemiological investigation, led by the state epidemiologists from the Ministry of Health, began on Wed 10 Feb 2016," she said. "The investigation is meant to verify the assertions and the cause of deaths through laboratory investigation of water, throat swabs and blood samples of children with suspected cases and to proffer solutions. "It is worthy of note that no further death has been recorded since then."

[byline: Andrew Sweeney]

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[It is not clear what is causing death in these children. The agent appears to be fast-acting with death in 2-3 days, hemorrhagic leading to rash and vomiting. Possible agents include Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever, among other vectorborne agents. The report states immunization of children, but it is not clear with what. Additional information would be appreciated. - Mod.LK


http://www.promedmail.org/post/4035781

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Lagos yet to ascertain disease that killed 20 children
Published on February 19, 2016 by pmnews ?
Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government is yet to ascertain the disease which killed 20 children in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
At least 20 children were killed by an ailment between January 2016 and this month. Official figure puts the death toll at 17.
The state government said the deaths could have been caused by an outbreak of Febrile Rash Illnesses (FRI).
State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris told newsmen Friday that the disease causing the outbreak is yet to be confirmed, but noted that the signs and symptoms were suggestive of FRI.
?Blood samples (and throat swabs) from the patients and water samples from the community have been taken to the Virology Reference Laboratory at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, and Lagos State Drug Quality Control Laboratory (DQCL), LASUTH, Ikeja respectively.
?The source of the infection is still under investigation. Thirty-Four cases have been line-listed so far with 17 males and 17 females. 17 dead patients have been identified with 9 males and 8 females. All are within the age range of 8-72 months,? he said.
Idris stated that house-to house search for cases were still ongoing as 47 sick children were found, out of which 34 were line-listed as Febrile Rash Illnesses.

...

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2016/02/19/lagos-yet-to-ascertain-disease-that-killed-20-children/

 

[Pathfinder]

Strange illness kills 70 children in Lagos community

By News Express on 20/02/2016
...
According to the residents, about 70 children have died in the last six weeks in a strange way residents are attributing to the lack of immunisation of infants in the community in the last three years.
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Bose?s husband, Mr. Peter, could not hold back tears as he stated that other families in the community have also been thrown into mourning as they too have lost children. He said: ?We do not know what is happening. We are tired because you hear one child had died in this family and as you are going to condole with the family, another family would cry out that their child had died. This is happening every two days interval. We are having high rate of infant mortality in the last six weeks.

?At first, we were not bothered because we thought it was spiritual attack and we engaged prayer warriors to fast and pray. We also prayed and had vigil to stop the deaths of our children. However, when we saw that the deaths were too many, we had to prevail on the Baale (traditional ruler) to call for help. He was the one that raised the alarm when we observed that close to 70 children had died due to this strange ailment ravaging our community.
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Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has called for calm over the disease described as febrile rash. The Commissioner of health, Dr. Jide Idris, made the call in a press conference in the ministry. According to him, the information gathered by the ministry states that about 34 cases of the disease have been recorded; 17 male and 17 female, with 20 confirmed dead. The commissioner revealed that blood samples have been taken by the investigative committee in order to confirm the cause of the deadly illness. He said that ?the ministry drew up an investigation plan to investigate the outbreak, verify reported deaths and report findings and recommendations. And the state is doing everything in its capacity to safeguard the slum part of the state with different strategic plans, including proper sanitation process and proper orientation among the 100 thousand population in the community. The disease causing the outbreak is yet to be confirmed.?
...

http://www.newsexpressngr.com/news/...-illness-kills-70-children-in-Lagos-community

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.channelstv.com/2016/02/22/lagos-confirms-febrile-rash-as-measles/


Lagos Confirms Febrile Rash As Measles
Channels Television.
Updated February 22, 2016

The Lagos State Government has confirmed the suspected febrile rash illness that claimed the lives of over 20 children in the Otodo-Gbame community in Eti-Osa as measles.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who made this known at a media briefing admitted that children in that community missed out on routine and mop-up immunisation because the Ministry of Health was not aware of the settlement...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Lagos strange killer disease: Laboratory tests show measles virus
ON FEBRUARY 23, 20161:03 AMIN NEWSCOMMENTS
By Chioma Obinna

Lagos State Government, yesterday, confirmed that the blood samples of victims of the epidemic of febrile rash illness that claimed the lives of over 20 children in Otodo Gbame community in Eto-Osa Local Government Area of the state showed measles virus. Giving an update at a briefing in Lagos, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said all the blood samples taken to the Central Public Health Laboratory, Yaba, tested positive for IgM, a blood marker for recent infection with measles virus. He added that four throat swaps and one blood samples investigated at the virology reference laboratory, LUTH, indicated the presence of measles virus through polymerase chain reaction, PCR, technique.
...

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/lagos-strange-killer-disease-laboratory-tests-show-measles-virus/