From LAYI Olanrewaju,Ilorin
Kwara State Health Commissioner, Suleiman Alege, yesterday, said there was a confirmed case of Lassa fever in the state.
The victim of the disease is a 10- year old boy from Babanla, Ifelodun Local Government area.
A ‘strange’ disease was reported last week to have claimed scores of lives in Oro-Agor also in the same council.
But the government described the report as mere rumours, adding that it was investigating the incident.
Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the capital, the commissioner said: “We had sent samples to Virology Research Centre, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the results of the investigation of the samples are out. As a state, we don’t need to hide anything. I can authoritatively confirm to you that one of the samples taken from Babanla Primary Health Centre, Ifelodun Local Government, is confirmed to be positive of Lassa fever.
“A 10- year old boy is the unfortunate victim. As I am speaking to you, our medical team is moving there immediately, basically to monitor the situation on ground, look at the patient and for people that have had contact with him. “We will create isolation centre in Omu-Aran General Hospital. I want to inform you that the information has got to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and other necessary partners. We are working together as a team to nip the disease in the bud. On the Oro-Agor axis, the other four samples are negative,” Alege said.