Why 5 doctors Survive Lassa Fever in LUTH
Lives of 5 medical doctors who came in contact with two patients who died of Lassa Fever at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) were saved because of prompt adherence to hospital protocol in epidemic outbreaks.
The doctors were among 150 others quarantined, monitored and treated immediately samples collected from the dead tested positive.
Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, Professor Demi Fasanmade in a statement disclosed that the last of the quarantined medical officers has been discharged while 150 others who were followed were equally let off the surveillance radar.
Still on the watch list are about forty others who are yet to complete the mandatory 21 days of surveillance and follow up by the monitoring officials.
“Presently, less than 40 remain under monitoring and hopefully these remaining shall complete their follow up and that will put an end to the outbreak of this deadly disease”, Fasanmade assured in the statement.
According to Fasanmade, “Four weeks ago, 2 patients were admitted to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), one, a young lady who had just lost a pregnancy in the course of her acute illness and was treated in LUTH for the last 12hours of her life..
“The other, a young man who had sickle cell disease and what was initially thought to be a simple febrile illness. He was brought to LUTH in a poor state and died within 48hours”.
The CMAC urged members of the general public to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and to eliminate the rats in their houses.
He noted, “Rat control measures should be adopted for our environment and all food items should be kept in rat-proof, lidded containers.
“Patients who have fever should always see their doctors and be promptly referred if suspected to be Lassa”, he added.
Lassa fever, also known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever (LHF), is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. Many of those infected by the virus do not develop symptoms. … The disease is usually initially spread to people via contact with the urine or feces of an infected multimammate rat
