The Oyo State Government has begun effective steps in containing the recent lassa fever outbreak alongside COVID -19 and other communicable diseases in the State.
The Ministry of Health received some confirmed cases of lassa fever recently at Agbaruru community and Iwere Ile in Iwajowa Local Government of Oyo State.
Abiodun Oni, Commissioner for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in a statement on Tuesday said his Ministry’s is working in tandem with Oyo State Ministry of Health in partnership with the World Health Organization to sensitize people by practising proper hygiene while also mobilising Local Government officials in ensuring strict adherence to the sanitation exercise”
Oni revealed that the action to sensitize became necessary due to the increased confirmed cases of outbreak in the State
Consequently, the commissioner added that the control of Lassa fever is a collective responsibility and as such, residents are instructed to store grains and other food stuffs in rodent-proof containers, disposing their wastes in a drum with tight fitting cover far away from the house and patronising accredited refuse collector for effective waste management while also maintaining clean households free from rats and also block all rats openings in their premises so as to truncate the free movement of rodents.
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The commissioner added further that individuals should desist from using rodents as source of food stressing that any rodents found within the surroundings should be buried immediately and not to be touched with bare hands.
Similarly, Oni revealed that the onset of the disease when it is symptomatic is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness and malaise.
” After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing and abdominal pain may follow while in several cases, facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from the mouth, nose, virginal or gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure may develop hence, resulting to death” the Commissioner added.
To this end, Oni disclosed that prevention of Lassa fever and other communicable diseases relies on promoting community hygiene.
He further advised family members to be more careful and also avoid contact with blood and fluids while caring for their infected loved ones, adding further that prompt reports of suspected cases should be made to the appropriate health authorities for further treatments.
