The Lassa fever patient at the Isolation Centre of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, (OOUTH), Sagamu has died at the facility few hours to completing her treatment.
The victim who came down with virus that causes Lassa fever after returning from Ebonyi state, South East Nigeria, died on Sunday.
The Ogun state Commissioner for Health, Babatunde Ipaye, broke the sad news Sunday evening during a press briefing, saying the victim, simply identify as Eze, was expected to complete her medication on Sunday before the death occurred.
“Ogun state government under the leadership of Sen. Ibikunle Amosun announces regrettably the death of the first case of Lassa fever in Ogun state today.
“We have contacted the family and gotten necessary consents and approvals to bury the remains according to WHO guidelines and the national protocol.
“Eze was admitted into the isolation unit of OSUTH,which was specifically equipped,strafed and funded by the state government to manage confirmed cases of Lassa in the course of this national epidermic.
“Upon confirmation at a private hospitals in Ota,Eze received the best medical attention from varying numbers of medical specialists,well trained nurses,volunteer medical officers and several well kitted supportassa staff.
“The patient has received a nine day course of ribavirine,potent antibiotics, appropriate blood transfusions and necessary psychosocial support.
“We were only waiting to celebrate the completion of medication today and take a blood sample to confirm cure,when unexpected complication set in yesterday, Saturday 13, February,2016,” Ipaye said.
Ipaye added that relatives of the deceased were contacted before burial.
According to the Commissioner, that the victim’s father resides in Nassarrawa state and was also contacted.
The Commissioner however confirmed that none of the 121 primary contacts tracked with the first victim has shown any symptom suggestive of Lassa fever.
He said another case case discovered last Thursday revealed that the person had also entered Abeokuta from Kogi state.
“Like the first case,she also traveled into Abeokuta from Kogi state. She was said to have traveled to Kogi,her husband hometown for a ceremony. After the ceremony,she spent about two weeks in the state before returning here to meet with her husband,who is a civil servant.
“She was said to have gone to a primary health centre in Obantoko area from where she was refereed to the Federal Medical Centre,FMC,Idi aba ,Abeokuta. The FMC don’t have facilities for isolation,so we were called upon.”
