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Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State government has confirmed one case of Lassa fever in the state.
Chief Medical Director (CMD), Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Prof. Terlumun Swende who disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday said symptoms of the dreaded fever presented in a woman from Okpoga, Okpokwu Local Government area of the state.
Swende who was represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Olusayo Alao said the patient, a 40-year-old woman, was immediately quarantined while investigation was ongoing to ascertain whether she was suffering from Lassa fever or not.
He noted that samples of her blood were sent for laboratory investigation, adding that at the end of the medical investigation, it was discovered that she was actually suffering from Lassa fever.
“We have properly investigated a 40- year-old-woman from Okpoga who presented symptoms of Lassa fever. We took her samples for test and at the end of the investigation, it came out confirmed that she had Lassa fever.”
The CMD who noted that the woman was the only confirmed case of Lassa fever in the state, for now, dispelled the rumour that some persons had died of the fever in the state, saying there was no death arising from Lassa fever in the state in the last two months.
“Lassa fever is becoming an all-year-round illness in Nigeria as at today. But in the last two months, precisely between November and now, we have not recorded any mortality arising from Lassa fever in the state.”
He, however, disclosed that the patient was already been administered antibiotics and that she’s on the recovery path.
Swende also debunked rumour that any staff of the medical facility had been infected while treating Lassa fever patient.
While commending the state government for always providing all the needed equipment, Swende, however, listed some urgent needs of the hospital to include a dedicated generator to the quarantined patients’ block, water as well as anti-viral drugs for patients and protective equipment for staff.
