Ondo State has again recorded an outbreak of Lassa Fever that has left scores of persons currently hospitalised, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Some medical practitioners, who pleaded anonymity while confirming the outbreak on Monday, said the disease had been recorded in some local government areas of the state including Akure, Owo and Ose.
They disclosed that some of the cases had also been recorded at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, with at least 80 patients placed on admission.
In an interview, one doctor told our correspondent that patients affected by the outbreak tested positive to the disease and has since been isolated from the main wards.
He said, “Yes, it is true. They (patients) were firstly treated for malaria and typhoid fever but unfortunately none of them could respond to treatment despite the drugs administered on them.
“And you know as suspicious as the symptoms could be, it gave us the opportunity to do further diagnosis which made the patients to test positive to the virus.
“But some of the patients are now being isolated at the hospital and we have started making effort to also ensure they survive too.”
It was also gathered that the epidemic outbreak has caused anxiety among other patients in government hospitals.
Commissioner for Health in the state, Wahab Adegbenro, confirmed the outbreak in a chat with our correspondent.
He stated that the state government was already working towards reducing the spread of the virus among patients in the hospital.
He said, “Lassa Fever has always been with us for a very long time and it mostly occurs during dry season but we are already putting modalities in place to curtail it.
“Although, we are currently meeting over the issue, we would soon make our findings public.”
