Lassa fever: 2nd death in Lagos

Lassa fever reservoir, the Multimammate rat.

A second death from Lassa fever virus infection has been confirmed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris. He said the deceased, a 27-year-old lady,died few hours after admission at Ijede General Hospital where she presented with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and body weakness.  

The unnamed lady had earlier travelled to Edo State on 24 December, 2015 and returned to Lagos on 2 January, 2016. 

She took ill on 14 January, 2016 and received care in one private hospital and three churches before she being referred  23 January  The case was confirmed as Lassa Fever on January 26, 2016.

The remains of the patient has been kept in the morgue in leak proof body bag. She is to be buried after due consultation with her family. 

Ninety (90) persons have been line-listed as contacts of the last confirmed case as at January 26, 2016 and contact tracing is on-going.

Meanwhile, Lagos State had recorded 20 suspected cases of Lassa fever as at 26 January since the outbreak of the disease in November, 2015. 

Fourteen  suspected cases tested negative, four cases were confirmed positive of Lassa Fever, while the results of two suspected cases are pending. One case was confirmed on the 15 January 2016, two on 18 January 2016 and one case confirmed on 26 January, 2016.  The Lagos state health ministry has line-listed 537 contacts of the confirmed cases and 534 (99 percent) of the contacts are currently being monitored.