Lassa fever: Contacts rise to 106 in Ogun

Ogun State government on Sunday disclosed that the number of suspected contacts of the victim of Lassa fever in the state has increased to 106.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, said in a telephone interview with New Telegraph that the number rose from the initial 66 contacts as at Friday.
He, however, allayed the fears of residents over the outbreak of the disease, saying all measures are being taken to contain its spread.
A 22-year-old male patient (name withheld) had on Thursday been placed under medical observation at the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta over Lassa fever infection.
The patient reportedly returned from a trip to neighbouring Lagos State and came down with the symptoms.
Giving an update about the case on Sunday, Ipaye said all the contacts have been given thermometers to measure their temperature, with health and surveillance officers of the state government deployed to monitor them daily for 21 days.
The commissioner stated that the Lassa fever contacts were not taken to isolation centres but rather monitored appropriately.
He said: “You don’t take Lassa fever contacts to isolation centre, you only monitor their level of temperature. It’s unlike the Ebola disease where you take contacts to isolation centres.

“Initially we had 66 contacts when I briefed you (on Friday). Between then and now, we have additional 40 contacts. So, now, we are monitoring 106 contacts.”