Isolo GH MD cautions health workers against spreading Lassa fever

By Damilola Kushimo

The Medical Director/CEO of the Isolo General Hospital, Dr. Godwin Akhabhoa, has charged health workers to exercise extreme care while treating Lassa fever patients in order to curtail its spread.

Dr. Akhabhoa said this during the monthly Continuous Medical Education (CME) at the hospital.
This is in response to the spread of the Lassa fever to 19 states of the country.

As at the end of January, 95 cases including five health workers had been confirmed in the 19 states with Edo, Ondo, Ebony and Taraba leading the pack of affected states.

Akhabhoa therefore asked health workers to always put on their personal protective equipment while treating Lassa fever patients.

Also speaking, a senior doctor in the hospital, Dr. Oladunni Abiodun noted that the ailment is transmitted to humans from contact with food or household items contaminated with the faeces or urine of rodents.
According to her, the symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain and sore throat with the incubation period spanning 5-21 days.

She recommended immediate treatment in designated isolation centre by trained personnel, adding that treatment could be effective if administered early in the course of the clinical illness.

To protect the health workers administering treatment, Dr. Abiodun recommended that all staff entering the room where Lassa fever patients are being treated should wear gloves and gowns, use High Efficiency particulate air filter and must wear face shields or surgical mask with eye protection if the health worker is within three feet of the patient.

On prevention and control, she emphasised the need for good community hygiene to discourage rodents from entering homes, grains and other foodstuffs to be stored in rodent-proof containers.

Other measures according to her include proper garbage disposal, careful handling of samples by laboratory staff and safe injection practices.