By Muhammad Amaan
A suspected outbreak of viral haemorrhagic fever has claimed the lives of three health workers and a patient at the emergency ward at the 44 Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.
Consequently, the authorities of the military hospital have shut down the emergency ward, and samples taken from suspected contacts of the deceased and sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control laboratory in Kano for analysis.
The Corps Commander, Medical, Brigadier General S. O. Okoigi, disclosed the development in a statement on Thursday.
Okoigi said, “The Accident and Emergency Department of 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna has lost three members of staff and a patient suspected to have died from acute Viral Haemorrhagic Fever.
“This followed the management of a patient with febrile illness thought to have been the index patient with the disease 10 days ago. The patient also died from the suspected disease condition.”
He explained that the common symptoms in those affected included fever and non-specific symptoms likened to malaria, noting that the illness was complicated by abnormal liver function, acute kidney failure, encephalopathy, microangiopathy, and elevated D-Dimer, among others.
“The Accident and Emergency has been closed for thorough disinfection process and samples have been taken from suspected contacts and the deceased and sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control laboratory in Kano for analysis,” the corps commander added.
Okoigi said the Kaduna State epidemiologists had been invited to help in unraveling the aetiology of the febrile illness to curtail the spread of the disease.
This, he said, was in addition to strict disease Infection Prevention and Control measures that have been directed to be placed, adding that Ribavirin injection (antiviral agent) had also been commenced on other suspected cases and those identified on contact tracing.
He said the hospital had also been directed to suspend accepting new cases from the general public in the interim while the situation was being contained.
According to him, the significant risk of contracting VHF among healthcare workers underscored the need to strengthen IPC practices across all Nigerian Army health facilities.
He said, “Prevention remains the best approach in dealing with such an outbreak since treatment options are limited against a background of high mortality often recorded as in the current case at 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.
“This can be achieved by raising the level of hospital preparedness for VHF outbreaks through capacity building and ensuring the use of universal precautions when dealing with all patients.
“Sequel to the foregoing, it is imperative that all units put in place strict IPC measures immediately to safeguard hospital staff and patients.
“Furthermore, IPC guidelines are to be strategically located for all members of staff to see and adhere to.”
Okoigi urged commanders and commanding officers to “disseminate this information to their subunits.”
