Isolate Osun From Lassa Fever Report – Medical Expert

Rats: The harbingers of Lassa Fever
Rats: The harbingers of Lassa Fever

Medical experts in Oyo have joined their voices with the Oyo State Government to isolate the state from states recently hit by Lassa fever, stressing that there has not been a case of Lassa fever in the state in recent times.

Among the experts who disclosed this on the state television, Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State were: a lecturer in the University of Ibadan, UI, Dr. Babasola Olusaga; Medical Officer in charge of Olorunsogo Local Government, Dr. Omotayo Olugbade; and Chairman, Emergency Response, UCH, Dr Kayode Osungbade.

They said that Lassa fever has the same features with Ebola, Yellow Fever and Malaria, especially Ebola which could also be contracted in the similar way as Lassa fever.

They added that it was a standard laboratory test that could clearly reveal the status of an ailment.

“In the case reported at UCH, after conducting laboratory test, it was found out that it was not a Lassa fever case,” Osungbade said.

Reacting to the declaration of national emergency on Lassa fever, the experts rejected it on the ground that the nation lacked accurate statistics on the epidemic.

“We keep having conflicting statistics on the epidemic with different bodies quoting different figures of the victims. How can we declare emergency on what we don’t have the figures of the victims?” Olugbade asked.

They called for awareness campaign on how to curtail the epidemic through proper hygiene.

“LASS fever is recorded in communities that have poor hygiene or communities that are not clean. So we should improve our hygiene status. We should teach our people the act of washing hands with soap. We should teach our people on keeping their environment clean. We should teach our people on keeping things that will not attract rodents. And when we suspect anything, or we fall sick, we should go to the hospital as early as possible,” Olusaga advised.

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