Lassa Fever: Lagos records first case

The Lagos State Government has confirmed the occurrence of the first case of Lassa fever in the State.
The patient; a 25 year old, male, undergraduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State was reported to have fallen ill after he arrived Lagos and was taken to Ahmmadiyyah Hospital, Ojokoro on the 9th of January, 2016 with complaint of fever, sore throats and difficulty in swallowing.
He was subsequently placed on admission for six days and was thereafter referred by the private hospital to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on the 14th of January, 2016 because the fever was persistent and his condition was not improving. He was confirmed as a case of Lassa fever on the 15th of January, 2016 at LUTH.
A statement from the state ministry of health aid the patient is presently being managed at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and his condition is stable.
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. The fifteen (15) in-patients as well as 25 health workers in the facility are being monitored for the next 21 days. Contacts tracing is ongoing; and currently we have 92 contacts and all are being followed-up.
In view of this new development, the Lagos State Government has called on residents of the State to be calm assuring them that both the State and Federal Governments are doing everything possible to control the spread of the Lassa virus.
“In line with international standards, the contacts of the patient are being tracked for follow-up. Meanwhile, drugs and other materials have also been prepositioned at our designated facilities; and isolation centres have been prepared to manage suspected and confirmed cases,” the statement further said..
The Mainland Hospital and all other General Hospitals have been placed on the alert. Lagos Commisioner of Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said, reactivation of isolation wards in LASUTH and 26 General Hospitals in Lagos State, is currently ongoing.
He advices residents to watch out for the signs and symptoms of the disease and to report any suspected person with symptoms.
Members of the public and health workers are told to report any case or symptoms of persistent high fever not responding to standard treatment for malaria and typhoid fever to 08023169485.the nearest health facility or call the following lines:, 08037170614, 08022234273, 08022241768 08033065303, 08033086660, 08055281442 and