Health
BREAKING: Lassa fever: UK visitor tests positive as death toll hits 98 in 2 months
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed a Lassa fever case with a travel history to the United Kingdom.
The Director General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, in a public advisory on Monday, said the agency was notified on 5th of March of a confirmed case of Lassa fever by the Ondo State Ministry of Health, in a 31-year-old physician managed at a private health facility in Ondo State after returning from a trip abroad (UK).
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) caused by the Lassa virus. The natural reservoir for the virus is the multimammate rat (also known as the African rat). Other rodents can also act as carriers of the virus.
Dr Idris said the patient departed Nigeria on February 19 and returned February 27, adding that samples were taken late on Friday, February 28 on a suspicion of Lassa fever, but the patient unfortunately passed away in the early hours of Saturday, March 1.
He said the laboratory investigation returned a result that was Lassa Fever positive on PCR on Tuesday March 4, adding that “The patient was said to have visited his fiancée in Edo State, as well as family and friends before travelling. “
The NCDC DG said to enhance state and international level coordination of all control and management efforts, some steps had been taken.
“Ondo State Ministry of Health has bolstered control and management efforts through contact tracing and line listing of contacts of the confirmed case.
“All necessary in-country structures have been mobilized to ensure all possible contacts are traced and monitored. Communicated to the Port Health Services to support contact tracing and line listing of contacts and bolster surveillance efforts at the point of entries and exits (information include patient’s biodata, flight details etc. shared).
“Information shared with all relevant authorities in line with the International Health Regulations (2005), and contact tracing efforts also on-going in the UK,” he stated.
The NCDC boss explained that a total of 2728 Lassa fever suspected cases; 535 confirmed cases and 98 deaths have been recorded across 14 states in Nigeria (Case Fatality Rate 18.3%) since the beginning of this year.
He said five states account for 91% of confirmed cases: Ondo: 31%, Bauchi: 24%, Edo: 17%, Taraba: 16% and Ebonyi: 3%.
He said, “Ten (10) LGAs make up 68% of confirmed cases, namely Owo, Akure South, Etsako West, Kirfi, Akoko South West, Bali, Esan North East, Bauchi, Toro and Jalingo. “
He said while NCDC leads the prevention, preparedness, and response to public health emergencies, state governments are also critical in implementing their outbreak response plans tailored to their specific geographical needs.
“And we will continue to support them. However, this responsibility, being a collective one, members of the public also have a role to play,” he said.
He further advised members of the public to
always keep their environment clean, especially their homes, markets, dump sites to reduce breeding grounds for rats
He said, “Block all holes in your house to prevent the entry of rats and other rodents.
“Cover your dustbins and dispose of refuse or waste properly. Communities should set up dump sites far from their homes to reduce the chances of the entry of rodents into their homes.
“Safely store food items such as rice, garri, beans, corn/maize, etc., in tightly sealed or well-covered containers. And avoid open drying of food stuff. Properly process or prepare rats (bushmeat) before consumption. Avoid drying food stuff outside on the ground or roadside, where it is at risk of contamination.
“Discourage bush burning and Deforestation as these can destroy the homes and food sources of rodents, driving them to migrate from the bushes to human residences to find food.
“Eliminate rats in homes and communities by setting rat traps and other appropriate and safe means. Practice good personal and hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap under running water or using hand sanitizers when necessary.”
While advising people to avoid overcrowded living areas as overcrowding leads to poor sanitation, he said they should also avoid self-medication to ensure proper diagnosis and early treatment.
“Visit the nearest health facility if you notice any of the signs and symptoms associated with Lassa fever mentioned earlier or call the State Ministry of Health hotline and 6232 (NCDC),” he added.
The Association of Resident Doctors in the Federal Capital Territory Administration on Monday began an indefinite strike on Monday.
This was disclosed in a communique issued by the ARD-FCT on Monday, signed by its President, Dr. George Ebong, and General-Secretary, Dr. Agbor Affiong.
The association had embarked on a seven-day warning strike last Monday to press home its demands, following months of unresolved negotiations with the FCTA.
Details later.
Health
Overworked RSUTH Resident Doctor Slump, Dies on Duty
What happened is that he was on call in the Emergency Room. Afterward, he went to the call room to rest, and it was there that he died. Unfortunately, he was the only one attending to the patients.
Dr Oluwafemi Rotifa, a young resident doctor at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) collapsed and died after a gruelling 72-hour call duty.
Ohibaba.com reliably gathered that the deceased doctor, fondly called Femoski by colleagues, was a former President of the Port Harcourt University Medical Students’ Association, PUMSA, and was registered with the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council, awaiting placement abroad.
The President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, Dr. Tope Osundara, who confirmed Rotifa’s death, said that the deceased doctor had been on continuous call duty for three days in the Emergency Room before he retreated to the call room to rest.
It was there that he slumped and later died, despite efforts to resuscitate him in the Intensive Care Unit.
“What happened is that he was on call in the Emergency Room. Afterward, he went to the call room to rest, and it was there that he died. Unfortunately, he was the only one attending to the patients.
“The overuse of manpower strained his health and led to this painful death. It was a death on duty,” Osundara lamented.
From manipulated images to out-of-context photos, false claims that Donald Trump is seriously ill — or even dead — have swirled online, with the misinformation persisting even after the US president publicly rejected it on Tuesday.
At a White House press conference, Trump dismissed social media rumours about his health as “fake news,” following the 79-year-old’s noticeable absence from public appearances and press events last week.
Since last Friday, there were around 104,000 mentions of the hashtag “Trump dead” on the Elon Musk-owned platform X, generating a cumulative 35.3 million views, according to an analysis from the misinformation watchdog NewsGuard.
Some social media users cited online maps purportedly showing road closures near Maryland’s Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre as evidence that Trump was being treated for a serious ailment at the facility.
But there were no credible reports of road closures around the medical facility.
Other social media users shared an image of an ambulance parked outside the White House, claiming it was taken last month and citing it as evidence of a health crisis involving Trump.
It was actually an old photo posted by a journalist on X in April 2023 — while Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, was still in office, according to NewsGuard.
Some users claiming that Trump was dead shared an out-of-context image of the White House flag flying at half-staff, a traditional gesture used to honour the death of a prominent official.
In reality, Trump had issued a proclamation last week ordering flags at the White House, military posts, and naval stations across the country to be lowered in honour of the victims of a school shooting in Minneapolis.
Some users also posted a zoomed-in image of Trump’s face, claiming it showed a deep line above his eye that indicated a recent stroke.
But NewsGuard found that the original image was out of focus and showed no signs of a line over Trump’s eye. The image used in the false posts was digitally enhanced using an AI tool.
The misinformation — which appeared to originate from liberal anti-Trump accounts on X, Bluesky, and Instagram — persisted even after Trump stated on Truth Social over the weekend: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE.”
The falsehoods continued to circulate following Trump’s press conference on Tuesday, where he publicly dismissed the health rumours.
Shortly after the conference, one Bluesky account falsely claimed that the “White House just announced” the president was dead.
The falsehoods highlight how facts are increasingly under assault on a misinformation-filled internet landscape, an issue exacerbated by public distrust of institutions and traditional media.
The health of US presidents has always been closely watched, but with the White House seeing its two oldest ever occupants since 2017, the scrutiny is now heavier than ever.
Trump — the oldest man ever to be elected US president — has alleged that Democrats covered up the mental and physical decline of Biden, who was 82 when he left office in January.
Biden’s health was a key issue in the 2024 election, and the then-president was forced to drop his campaign for a second term after a disastrous debate performance against Trump.
AFP
FIFA unveils Trionda, the official ball of the 2026 World Cup
Legendary conservationist, Jane Goodall, dies at 91
Kogi Enforcing Ban on Trailer Parks from October 29 – Fanwo
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
Business2 days agoPENGASSAN Ends Strike as Dangote Recalls Workers
-
Entertainment17 hours agoNational Theater: The Bankers’ Committee “made me eat my words – Soyinka
-
International16 hours agoLegendary conservationist, Jane Goodall, dies at 91
-
News2 days agoNigeria’s 65th Independence: Tinubu’s full speech
-
Business1 day agoECOWAS Bank okays $308.63m for Nigeria, Guinea
-
Business1 day agoFG Spends $2.86bn on External Debts Servicing – CBN
-
News17 hours agoKogi Enforcing Ban on Trailer Parks from October 29 – Fanwo
-
International2 days agoDeported Nigerian Claims Ghanaian Officials Abandoned Him in Togo