Lassa Fever: Daughter Of Victim Under Observation — Commissioner

Rivers Commissioner for Health, Dr Theophilus Odagme, said on Tuesday that daughter of a Lassa Fever victim had been taken into a temporary holding centre for close observation. Odagme told the News Agency of Nigeria that the middle aged girl
was close to one of the three victims affected by the ravaging fever. “We have kept her at a one of the three temporary holding centres for close observation. Samples has been taken from her and we are still waiting for the results of the test. “For now, she cannot be said to have come down with lassa fever, until the result of the test is out. But, we have kept her on close observation and monitoring,’’ he said. The commissioner noted that field officers from the state ministry of health were monitoring 250 contacts to ascertain their status. “Our contact-tracing team has been monitoring 250 persons by checking their temperatures or symptoms suggestive of the fever. But right now, none of them is positive. “ We will continue to monitor and observe them for 21 days in order to ensure that there is no trace of the disease in them,’’ he said. Odagme also said that government was renovating the main treatment centre at Odohia, in Emohua LG, used to attend to Ebola patients two years ago. “The centre is not in good shape. Renovation is on going there as we speak. We set up three temporary centres to treat the few cases we have,’’ he said.