A strange disease has taken over a Lagos community wrecking irreparable damage on the lives of young children.
A mother and her sick child (file photo)
There has been an outbreak of febrile rash illnesses (FRI) in
Otodo Gbame community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State,
leaving at least 20 kids dead, The Nation reports.
Thirty-four other cases are currently under examination, Health Commissioner, Jide Idris announced yesterday.
The outbreak was first identified by the Medical Officer of Health
of the LGA on the 9th February, he said. The victims are said to be
within the age range of eight and 72 months.
Dr. Idris said his ministry has already notified the Federal
Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the
situation. It has also constituted a team of Epidemiologists to
investigate the outbreak and institute appropriate measures to prevent
further spread of the disease.
But he said although the disease causing the outbreak is yet to be confirmed, “the signs and symptoms are suggestive of Febrile Rash Illnesses.”
He added: “Blood samples (and throat swabs) from the patients
and water samples from the community have been taken to the Virology
Reference Laboratory at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH)
and Lagos State Drug Quality Control Laboratory (DQCL), LASUTH, Ikeja
respectively. The source of the infection is still under investigation.”
Otodo Gbame community, according to Idris is an expansive, sandy
riverine, flood prone and camp-lie settlements with an estimated
population of 100,000 people.
“The people are mainly Egun, however there are other tribes in
the minority. The community is a slum with waste deposited at different
spots. There are many scattered shallow wells in the community.
The water from the wells is found to be used mostly for
bathing, washing and cooking. Majority of the citizen claimed it is not
used for drinking but a few said they sometimes drink from the well. The
community head Chief Hunpe Dansu confirmed the outbreak of the Febrile
Rash illnesses.”
The government is said to be intensifying efforts to conduct
mapping of all slums and blighted areas in the state towards reducing
the health hazards associated with such areas.
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