The people of Rivers state were, on Wednesday, thrown into panic as rumours gave way to the confirmation of a case of the deadly lassa fever disease in the state by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Theophilus Odagme.
In a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the commissioner disclosed that the state Ministry of Health has recorded a case of Lassa fever in an undisclosed private hospital in the state but has swung into action to halt the spread of the disease.
The commissioner stated that due to the rapid response of the Ministry of Health, the affected patient was immediately isolated, treated, and discharged while the case was being professionally followed up. Dr. Odagme told journalists that the state Ministry of Health was collaborating with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the private hospital, and the family of the patient to ensure that the process of decontamination of contacts was effectively handled to ensure that the situation was arrested.
He said: “Right now, we pray it does not pose further threat to the state. Indeed, we had a patient in a private hospital in the state. The patient was diagnosed and expertly managed and has been discharged. “The primary and secondary contacts are being followed and the other processes of decontamination are all on and we are following up with all the contacts. We are also ready if there are eventualities with the contacts, we will move them to the special centre in Emohua local government,” he said.
The commissioner said that there was no need for the residents to panic as government was on top of the situation and advised the people to keep filth and rats out of their environment as part of the measures to eradicate the disease. Dr. Odagme continued: “Our message remains constant. People should not expose their consumables to rats or rodents. We don’t want these incidents, that is why we have kept on with our enlightenment campaigns that people should keep everything away from rats.”