The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Babtunde Ipaye, said 19 persons, including a female undergraduate, had been placed under watch as the undergraduate had contact with the Lagos State Lassa fever index case.
The commissioner, who addressed a news conference on Tuesday in Abeokuta, however, did not disclose the name of the undergraduate student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
Ipaye said the undergraduate had contact with the index case of Lagos State recorded in Ahmadiyyah Hospital in Ojokoro area of Lagos State.
The commissioner said the others were workers of the same hospital, residing in Ogun State.
Ipaye said the undergraduate had been given a thermometer to monitor her temperature, while others had a Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer attached to each of them.
The commissioner explained that two suspected cases of Lassa fever were reported last week in the state, but clinical examinations were negative.
He explained that the first case of a seven-year-old boy who started vomiting blood after a day-old fever, was reported at General Hospital, Ijaye in Abeokuta.
The boy was treated and responded to anti-malaria and other antibiotics drugs, the commissioner said.
Ipaye said another suspected case of a 10-year-old girl who travelled from Kaduna, but started passing dark stool was under examination.
He said the clinical examination result was being expected.
He said: “As a state, we are being extremely proactive.
“We do not have a confirmed case of Lassa in Ogun, but in the last three days, we have had two reported suspected cases.
“But I need to let you know that none of these cases has been confirmed to be Lassa fever.
“I also wish to state that the 19 primary contacts with the index case of Lagos are under monitor through our active surveillance system.
“We are still monitoring other secondary contacts; others who have contacts with these 19 cases.”
Ipaye explained that the state had developed an Epidemic Preparedness Strategy by setting up two isolation centres in Iberekodo, Abeokuta and a facility in Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.
NAN.
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