ANOTHER VIRUS HITS (CALABAR) 'LASSA FEVER' not EBOLA, Isolates 15 patients...

The city of CALABAR was struck with a wave of panic as some patients who were admitted in the UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR TEACHING HOSPITAL showed rare symptoms of the already expelled Hemorrhagic Fever - LASSA FEVER. The Plague of information hit the medical team and the populace on Wednesday 7th of October.
LASSA FEVER, Collectively known as viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs), is an illness symptomatic of high fever as well as extreme dysfunction in the body's network of blood vessels, which can result in profuse bleeding.
The Secondary transmission of the virus between humans occurs through direct contact with infected blood or bodily secretions. 

This occurs mainly between individuals caring for sick patients although anyone who comes into close contact with a person carrying the virus is at risk of infection. Nosocomial transmission (transmission that occurs as a result of treatment in a hospital) and outbreaks in healthcare facilities in endemic areas represent a significant burden on the healthcare system.  

Ebola is one of several members of the Filovirus family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fevers, and there are at least three other families of viruses that also cause hemorrhagic fevers, including Bunyaviruses, Flavaviruses and Arenaviruses,.


For the most part, there are no treatments available for people with any type of viral hemorrhagic fever, although one acute viral disease, yellow fever, can be prevented with a vaccine.

Calabar doctor's facility isolates 15 patients... Medical attendants under watch alongside. FG sends group to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.

Fifteen persons have been isolated at the mischance and emergency ward of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital after a Virus Disease alarm in the hospital few days back.

Those isolated included nine medical caretakers (Nurses), one specialist  (Doctor), health workers and one patient. 

The EVD alarm in the UCTH came about because of the passing of a patient, Said to have showed the side effects of the executioner illness however the healing facility powers said the patient may have kicked the bucket of any Haemorrhagic fever.

The quiet's way of life as of Thursday stayed obscure.  Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the teaching hospital, Dr. Queeneth Kalu, said the blood test of the patient had been sent for testing while distinguished contacts had been isolated. 

At a press instructions in Calabar on Thursday, Kalu said that the National Center for Disease Control, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Cross River State Government and also the Department of State Services had been educated of the improvement.

She said, “On Wednesday October 7, 2015, we managed a patient who presented with symptoms mimicking viral haemorrhagic fever. Due to the remote chance of it being contagious, we have sent the blood samples for testing and quarantined identified contacts.

“Further information will be made available as soon as we receive the results of the samples sent for analysis.”

Also at the briefing, Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Edet Ikpi, said all necessary precautions as prescribed by the World Health Organisation had been taken to forestall any eventuality. He however said that there was no cause for panic by members of the public.

Ikpi urged the media to be cautious of what was being reported as no case of EVD had been established.

The Federal Government on Thursday confirmed that it had despatch a team of medical experts to the UCTH.

The Director, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, told The PUNCH that the team was already on ground in Calabar.

“The NCDC team is on ground and containment measures are already being put in place. The samples are being tested and we should know by tomorrow (today). The Federal Ministry of Health is sending additional support on Friday (today),” Nasidi said.

Our correspondent, who went round the hospital in Calabar on Thursday, learnt that those quarantined were mainly medical personnel and others within the ward moments before the patient died.

Medical workers at the UCTH, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, alleged that the isolated persons had not been given food to eat almost 24 hours after they were quarantined.

One of the workers said, “Those isolated have not been communicated with in the last 24 hours. The ward is a no go area for us at the moment. The isolated persons are even threatening to set themselves free if nothing was done soon. They are hungry and have not eaten.”

The hospital had on Wednesday shut its accident and emergency ward after the death of the unnamed patient that gave rise to the Ebola scare.

The deceased was said to have been brought to the hospital from the Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State on Tuesday with high body temperature, vomiting, stooling and seeping from the nose.

A source said the patient died shortly after samples were taken from him for investigation.

The source said, “A patient was brought in on Tuesday vomiting, stooling and bleeding from the nose and mouth. He had a high temperature. It was suspected that he had a haemorrhagic fever but it has not been confirmed. He died around 2pm and his body has been quarantined while the ward was shut down.”

Source:PUNCH