Lassa fever: Anambra government confirms outbreak

The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala, has confirmed a case of Lassa Fever outbreak in the state. The commissioner disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outbreak on Saturday. He said the State Health Emergency Response Team had responded to the suspected case which was confirmed positive by his ministry. “We followed […]

The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala, has confirmed a case of Lassa Fever outbreak in the state.

The commissioner disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outbreak on Saturday.

He said the State Health Emergency Response Team had responded to the suspected case which was confirmed positive by his ministry.

“We followed the National guidelines in managing the case, from isolation and sample collection to sample testing. The result of the laboratory testing came out positive for Lassa Fever.

“With this development, the State now has an index case” Okpala, said.

Okpala also stated that an Emergency Response Team had successfully decontaminated the isolation ward which accommodated the index case.

He added that the state Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) had been activated to operate under the direction of the National Coordination Center.

The commissioner further said the state government had constituted four contact tracing teams in different locations for the listing and follow up management cases.

He reassured residents of the state government’s preparedness to respond to the situation in any part of the state.

Daily Trust gathered that the patient is a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (name withheld), who was on admission in the University Clinic Awka for some days before she was referred to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital Amaku Awka, where she was confirmed to have Lassa fever.