Lassa fever: LUTH confirms deaths, raises alert level

The management ​of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, ​LUTH, has confirmed that ​two patients treated for Lassa fever have died​.
This is contained in a statement by ​Prof Chris Bode, Chief Medical Director of LUTH​.​

​He said ​the first was a 32-year old pregnant lady with bleeding disorder who died after a stillbirth.
​He added that no less than 100 different hospital workers exposed to this index case are currently being monitored.
​”​A resident doctor from the Department of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology who took part in the autopsy was later confirmed with the disease and is currently on admission and responding well to treatment at the Isolation Ward of LUTH​”, Bode said.​
He enjoined all LUTH workers to maintain a heightened level of alert in the wake of this new outbreak and observe universal precautions in handling all suspected cases of this viral hemorrhagic fever.

​Continuing, ​”LUTH has always worked closely with officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health in handling a number of diseases of public importance such as rabies, cholera, Lassa fever and the recent diarrhoea disease at the Queen’s College.
​”​Both the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Health have responded swiftly to contain this present Lassa fever outbreak by mobilising human and material resources to trace the sources and extent of the disease, follow up on potential contacts, identify early and test suspected cases.
​”​There are adequate materials for containment of the disease while drugs have been made available to treat anyone confirmed with the disease. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Nigeria has also been contacted.
​”​Two other suspected cases from Lagos state are also presently admitted and quarantined while undergoing confirmatory laboratory test