Osun Govt Confirms Two Cases Of Lassa Fever

File Photo

The Osun State government on Monday confirmed two cases of Lassa Fever in the state, as it assured residents of proactive measures to curtail the menace.

Commissioner for Health in the state, Rafiu Isamotu, alongside the Special Adviser to Governor Gboyega Oyetola on Public Health, Mr Siji Olamiju made this disclosure at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital.

According to them, while the first case was reported at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, the second case was at the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesha.

They explained that both patients were responding to treatment, adding that there were adequate measures on ground to sensitise residents on possible symptoms of the virus.

It was reported that the Federal Government recently announced the outbreak of Lassa fever, with reported cases of the virus in about six states of the federation, including : Ogun, Enugu, Kano, Ondo, Delta, Edo, and Ebonyi.

The SA to the Governor on Public Health, Siji Olamiju said : “We have been preparing for this in the past two weeks, having heard of the reported cases of the fever in some parts of the country, including neighbouring Ondo.

” The first thing we did was to embark on aggressive sensitization to educate our people on ways in which they could be protected against the virus and possible symptoms.

” We have informed them that the major carrier of the virus is rodents, so there is a need for utmost precautions at homes against direct contact with the animal.

“Also, health workers are working in our various surveillance networks to deepen the level of awareness and possibly encourage people to speak up and take action whenever they sense any of these symptoms

“As a matter of social responsibility, we have made it clear to them that they must compel anybody with symptoms of Lassa fever to quickly visit nearby hospital and if the person refuses, they should call those numbers we have given out for the purpose of emergency”.

The Commissioner, in his remarks disclosed that there were two centres where those suspected to have contacted the virus were quarantined.

“We are on top of the situation, there is no cause for alarm, government in the state of Osun is proactive and sensitive”, Isamotu said.