Lassa fever kills corps member in C’ River

A serving corps member in Cross River State, Samuel Onwuegbuzie, has died of Lassa fever disease.

He passed on at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital on Thursday. 

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr.InyangAsibong, disclosed on Friday that the deceased was first admitted at the General Hospital in Obubra, where he was on his primary assignment.

Asibong explained that the corps member was being treated of cerebral malaria when he was admitted at the General Hospital in Obubra for one week.

She said that after the case got worse at the General Hospital in Obubra, he was brought to UCTH in coma for further treatment.

She said that samples from the deceased was taken to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State for diagnosis, adding that the result confirmed that it was a case of Lassa fever.

 She said, “The incident started about two weeks ago in Obubra; and we all know that the incubation period of Lassa fever is 3-21 days.

“The deceased is an indigene of Delta state. The last time he travelled to his home in Lagos state was during the Christmas period in December 2016 and he came back to Cross River in January 2017.

“The deceased was living in the corps members lodge in Obubra and since he came back in January, he has not left that community.

“Unfortunately, we finally lost him yesterday (May 11) after a diagnosis of Lassa fever was made and from samples we took from him and sent to Irrua Specialists Teaching Hospital.

 “Sadly, the corps member contacted the disease in Cross River following the scientific duration of stay in the state since he came back from Lagos state.”

The state Coordinator of World Health Organisation, Dr Thompson Igbu, said that the organisation had been working closely with the state Ministry of Heath to curb further spread of the disease.

According to Igbu, over 15 persons have been line-listed from Obubra including the corps members living in the lodge.

“We have line-listed over 15 persons in Obubra who are `primary contact’ and the hospital where the deceased was first admitted has also been line-listed.

“We are supporting the state with essential drugs and we are making sure that necessary steps are taken to curb further spread of the disease’’, he said.