At least two persons have been confi rmed positive for Lassa fever by the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, Kogi state.
Head of Clinic Services of the Hospital, Dr. Taiwo Jones Olaoluwa, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lokoja yesterday, said three patients were brought to the hospital, but two tested positive after clinical investigation.
He noted that one of the patient died while the second one has been transferred to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo state for further confi rmation test.
Olaoluwa hinted that one of the patients a 15 years old boy living at Adankolo in Lokoja the Kogi state capital, was brought from Ondo state where he might have contacted the infection.
Th e head of the clinical services who pointed out that none of the staff of FMC Lokoja contacted the disease despite the record of Lassa fever in the last three months, noted that the hospital employed universal precaution measures in order to keep their staff safe.
While listing the symptoms of Lassa fever to include high temperature and vomiting of blood , sour throat among others, Olaoluwa cautioned the people of the state to keep their food stuff away from the reach of rodents to avoid being a victims.
Meanwhile, the Kogi state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Audu, while reacting to the incident, said the female patient had been confi rmed positive of Lassa fever at the Irrua Specialist Hospital where she was transferred to.
While pointing out that the state government was working towards tracing all those who might have had contact with the patient, the commissioner noted that the state Rapid Response Team (RRT) was on top of the situation to curtail the spread of the disease.
