Akin Abayomi Commissioner for Health in Lagos State said that reviewing the situation report of cases of the gastroenteritis recorded in the State 117 cases of the disease had been seen at health facilities in five local government areas.
The local government areas were cases have been reported are Lagos Island, Ajeromi, Apapa, Mushin and Ikeja .however, out of the 117 cases reported, 109 have been treated and discharged.
According to the press statement seen by BusinessDay, Abayomi has call on residents to maintain a high standard of personal and environmental hygiene at all times as part of the measures to prevent the outbreak of epidemics especially the spread of gastroenteritis also known as vomiting and diarrhoea which has been reported in the state.
“Following the report of these cases, Rapid Response Teams at the affected LGAs led by the Medical Officers of Health were activated, stool specimen were collected for laboratory test to confirm the micro-organism causing the vomiting and diarrhoea while surveillance have also been scaled up in communities within the affected LGAs to stop the spread of the infection. The results of laboratory tests will be published once the source pathogen is identified”, he said.
Abayomi explained that the increase in number of cases of gastroenteritis is not unconnected with persistent rain with flooding of some LGAs in the State.
“Gastroenteritis is caused by micro-organisms like those causing typhoid fever, cholera and certain viruses adding that it can be contacted by eating or drinking contaminated foods such as uncooked seafood,” he said.
The commissioner further explained that patients with gastroenteritis present with severe acute watery diarrhoea and profuse vomiting, noting that those infected with micro-organisms causing the disease shows signs and symptoms within 12 hours to one week after ingesting contaminated food or water.
“The disease affects both children and adult and can kill within hours if untreated”.
He therefore also advised health workers to ensure that they take universal safety precautions when dealing with patients stressing that they must practice good hand washing techniques and report any alarming increase in cases gastroenteritis-vomiting and diarrhoea to the Medical Officer of Health in their local government or the Directorate of Disease Control through these lines 08023169485 and 08023608195.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH
