The Oyo State Rapid Response Team, on Thursday, confirmed four deaths linked to a suspected Lassa fever outbreak in the Saki West Local Government Area of the state.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, in Ibadan, the state capital, quoted his counterpart from the Ministry of Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, saying the fatalities consisted three males and one 32-year-old female who was preparing for her marriage.

The report was that an owner of a hospital, alongside three others, died in the town mysteriously.

Following numerous calls reporting deaths in the town, the commissioner tasked the team to Saki to investigate.

“The background information gathered that one of the apprentices at the hospital who had returned from Iwajowa and fell ill about two weeks before the incident was suspected to have introduced the infection.

“She likely transmitted it to her co-workers and the hospital owner.

“Three of the deceased exhibited typical symptoms of Lassa fever, including craniofacial bleeding, while the hospital owner showed fatigue and self-medicated with antimalarials and antibiotics.

“His condition only prompted hospital admission when his self-treatment failed,” the statement read.

It added, “Extensive contact tracing was conducted, with particular focus on high-risk contacts who had been involved in the bathing and burial of the deceased.

“The hospital where all the deceased were associated was closed down for decontamination.

“The hospital that admitted the deceased health facility owner, without being informed of the deaths from an ‘unknown’ illness, was also shut down for decontamination, and the doctor was placed under surveillance.

“Public awareness campaigns were held to educate the community about Lassa fever, its transmission, symptoms, and preventive measures.

“The RRT provided on-the-job training to health workers in the affected areas to reinforce Infection Prevention Control protocols and prevent further spread of the disease.

“Sample collection was also carried out on a person exhibiting symptoms, pending laboratory confirmation. The line listing of contacts is still in progress, focusing on individuals at high risk”.

The government team also conducted an advocacy visit to the palace of the Okere of Saki, who was represented by his second-in-command, and was briefed on the outbreak and the necessary containment measures.

“Local government authorities within Saki West were equally informed and aligned with the efforts to manage the situation”, the statement added.

Investigation, according to the commissioner, also revealed that the outbreak initially involved the council, but had extended to Iwajowa and Kajola local government areas.

He said the State Disease Notification Officer in the respective areas had been instructed to begin preliminary containment efforts while awaiting the full deployment of the State RRT.

The team, comprising the Director of Public Health, the State Epidemiologist, DSNOs, State Laboratory Focal Persons, representatives from the World Health Organisation and Red Cross, as well as the PHC Coordinator of Saki West and the LGA DSNO, embarked on a comprehensive investigation to the scene of the incidence.

As parts of efforts towards ensuring residents of Ondo state are in good health at all times, the state government has concluded a three-day free medical outreach across the 18 local government areas of the state.

The medical outreach approved by Governor Aiyedatiwa was implemented the Ondo state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, OSPHCDA under the leadership of the Permanent secretary, Dr Francis Adegoke Akanbiemu and was effectively monitored by primary healthcare coordinators at the council areas.

During the programme which ran simultaneously across the 18 local government areas between Thursday 7th and Saturday 9th of November, 2024 across the eighteen local government areas, beneficiaries including artisans, civil servants, traders, farmers among others were screened for both communicable and non-communicable health conditions.

The beneficiaries were checked for Hepatitis B, Hernia, hypertension, Diabetes and malaria.

Those tested to be having the medical conditions received free drugs and counselling on how to successfully manage the ailments while those that required surgical intervention had been slated for the procedure in tertiary health facilities free of charge.

Some of the primary healthcare coordinators who supervised the exercise were Dr Poghikumo Iduwoni in Ese-odo, Debo Oyewole in Ose, and Dr Olawanle in Irele local government areas.

Speaking with journalists, the coordinators described the turn out of residents for the free medical outreach as impressive.

They said the programme would further lower morbidity rate among the people of Ondo state.

Some of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ebunoluwa Oke, Modupe Ayelomi and Mr Ugochi Benedict who confirmed that they were screened for some ailments and treated at no cost appreciated Governor Aiyedatiwa for giving priority attention to the health of Ondo state people especially at this time when some Nigerians with health challenges could not afford their drugs due to economic hardship.

They expressed their support to the administration of Governor Aiyedatiwa so that they could continue to enjoy free healthcare services.

In a remark, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo state healthcare development agency, OSPHCDA Dr Francis Akanbiemu explained that the free medical outreach was approved by Governor Aiyedatiwa towards ensuring that residents of the state have access to free healthcare services as part of dividends of democracy.

Dr Akanbiemu said the governor had also approved that the programme would now be carried out every three months to make it go round the nooks and crannies of the state.

The permanent secretary restated the commitment of the state government in leading a healthy state through various free healthcare services programmes already being implemented by his administration.

The Federal Government has recorded 11,587 suspected cases of diphtheria in the country, with 7,202 confirmed cases from 105 local government areas (LGAs) in 18 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) revealed the figures on Monday, September 25 in an update.

“Most (6,185) of the confirmed cases were recorded in Kano. Other States with cases are Yobe (640), Katsina (213), Borno (95), Kaduna (16), Jigawa (14), Bauchi (8), Lagos (8), FCT (5), Gombe (5), Osun (3), Sokoto (3), Niger (2), Cross River (1), Enugu (1), Imo (1), Nasarawa (1) and Zamfara (1),” the statement said.

The majority of confirmed cases – 5,299 (73.6 percent) – occurred among children aged one to 14 years, with those aged five to 14 suffering the brunt of the disease.

“So far, 453 people have died in confirmed cases, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 6.3%.” it added

It also stated in response to an escalating outbreak involving 80 percent unvaccinated cases, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, established a national emergency task team.

Diphtheria is a dangerous infection caused by a toxin-producing bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae.