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NIGERIA IS BATTLING on two fronts against an unprecedented outbreak of Lassa fever, a cousin of Ebola, that has already killed 110 people this year.
Even as doctors are grappling to contain the threat, health watchdogs are struggling to understand why the deadly virus has spread so dramatically.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 353 Lassa cases since 1 January, compared with 143 cases for the whole of 2017.
But the possible reasons for this surge are many, said NCDC director Chikwe Ihekweazu.
“The harder you look, the more you find,” he said, citing a change in the virus’s environment, viral mutation and better reporting of cases by the public in response to awareness campaigns.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease that can be transmitted to humans from infected rat faeces or urine.
Like the notorious Ebola, but somewhat less contagious, it can also be passed from one person to another via contact with infected bodily fluids.
Full protective gear for medical personnel is vital and isolation is essential.
Overstretched facilities
A visit to the Lassa fever isolation ward at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in southern Edo State, the only such unit in a country of 190 million people, provides a snapshot of the practical difficulties in tackling the peril.
Before the unit was built in 2008, suspect blood samples were sent to South Africa for an accurate diagnosis, but when the results came back it was already too late, doctors say.
Despite its unique status, the Lassa facility, staffed by a dozen Nigerian employees and a handful of European tropical medicine specialists, is struggling.
In normal times, it treats just a couple of dozen patients each year. But since the start of 2018, the unit has already admitted more than 150.
“Now we have just below 30 patients,” said director Ephraim Ogbaini-Emovon. “We never recorded this (in previous years). Facilities are overstretched.”
Dead rats in jars of formaldehyde decorated the corridors of the small clinic. Inside the isolation ward, the temperature was stifling at above 40°C (104°F) degrees.
Kevin Ousman, who specialises in combating viral risks at the World Health Organization (WHO), spends his days reminding people of basic protection.
“Change your gloves!” Ousmane orders. “Throw away this water! Don’t put this bag on the floor.”
In front of the hospital, surgical gloves and syringes spill out of the trash bins onto the grass.
“Given the situation we’re living here, we are going right down to the basics,” Ousmane tells AFP as doctors come and go clad from head to toe in protective suits.
Family care
A striking sight is that of relatives trying to care for their loved ones. Many come wearing just flip-flops and a simple facemask when they visit a patient in the isolation ward.
“It’s a tradition in Africa for families to take care of their sick,” a WHO employee remarks. “But we have to put a stop to that, it’s much too risky.”
Wilson Oherein had heard only vaguely of Lassa fever before his wife contracted the disease, to die of it a few days ago.
Their three-year-old daughter was also contaminated by Lassa fever and she was being cared for in the isolation ward at Irrua.
Oherein usually spends his days at his daughter’s bedside and feeds her. He also takes her soiled garments and washes them in a bucket. But this afternoon, he is resting in a half-finished building behind the hospital, with other family members of patients.
He is lying, exhausted, on a mat on the floor. “I will be fine,” he tries to convince himself, his forehead beaded with sweat. “I’m just anxious for my daughter and the mourning of my wife. It knocks me down.”
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Why weren’t the fire service called at the same time as the guards as they have the proper equipment to enter a building and rescue people. Just a thought.
How do you know they weren’t?
Stephen. Perhaps the Gardai were closer which is why they got there first and decided to help rather than wait for the fire engines to arrive. Not really fair to assume that the services let these poor people down.
Mallow is a part time station.
Wasn’t there a fire there a few weeks ago too?
RTE is reporting that it was a man and woman that died. Sad news nonetheless.
It seems to be fairly common around the country for gardai to get called to fires before the fire brigade. For whatever reason that is, maybe cost cutting!!
That’s a stupid comment. Gardai get called at the same time as the fire services. Difference is Gardai have cars not big slow trucks full of water. Gardai are already dressed and ready to go where as the fire services have to suit up first.
There are far more Gardai. Therefore the odds of them being closer are higher. It’s simple numbers.
It’s not a stupid comment, im aware of a number if incidents in my locality where people have rang and asked for the fire brigade and the gardai were sent first to check that the fire brigade were necessary. One of such incidents being a serious rta which was witnessed by a retired firefighter and called in by same, minutes wasted by call vetting and sending the gardai to a scene to go nothing but . . . . . Ring for fire and ambulance.
Martin I’m in the retained fire service, our local gardai have been called to fire incidents, like gorse fires car fires domestic fires etc. they then call us only if they can’t extinguish fire!
There is no such thing as call vetting in Munster as far as fire calls are concerned I should know I take the calls. Each area in Munster has a pre determined attendance set down by the chief fire officer of that local authority and depending on the type of incident the attendance is increased by the call taker. So there is no wait and see approach each call is dealt with and resources mobilised usually within 60 seconds.
And in certain areas that pre determined attendance was that oil spills were not up be dealt with by fire brigade and RTAs only to be attended if a person or persons are trapped in a vehicle.
As I said I can only speak for the Munster area all RTA’s are responded to when the fire service are requested by the Gardai ambulance or members of the public if there are persons reported or not if we don’t get the call obviously we can’t respond
That is vetting but before it gets to you..a caller wants help and you look at a list to see if you can give her help!!!how many times to do have to ring a senior officer to get permission to let the fire crew out!!!and by the way they make most of their decisions when not even at the scene..how can you risk assess from a bed not to mention that most senior fire officers have never been firefighters …the system in this country lets senior management tell firefighters what to do on the side of the road when they have actually never done the job themselves….it’s like the captain of a ship never been a sailor !!!!
I agree with your point about senior officers but the fact is that if it’s a life at risk call or has the potential to become a life at risk the fire brigade is mobilised regardless of senior officer standing orders there are certain situations in certain areas that require senior officer consultation before mobilisation but never when there is a danger to life. Just like firefighters emergency control operators are in a ranked based structure so have to follow the orders of superiors whether they agree with them or not
Your correct Adam…people in this country still call the gardai when they have a fire ….
Just push the button Trevor …we are all numbers at the end of the day….
Gardai are not already dressed to enter a fire
I never said they were. But we are already dressed to do our job.
Assuming you are a Member of AGS?
It is not the job of Gardai to enter a fire
RIP to the ones who lost their lives, very sad.
The gaurds were driving around that area all night and the garda station is close to were it happened they were at them appartments earler that night aswell for another incident. So if they were on the scene first thats why
Very sad thats the second fire in the same area in the last 2 weeks. About 2 hrs before that that i seen an ambulances and gaurds there aswell. R.i.p
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