ALERT: New Disease (Febrile Rash Illnesses) Outbreak In Lagos Kills 25 Children

At a news conference in Lagos, the Lagos state commissioner of health, Jude Idris, has confirmed the death of 25 children as a result of an outbreak of the Febrile Rash Illnesses (FRI) in Otodo-Gbame community in Ikate, Lekki.

The unknown disease disease, which started sometime in January 2016, made the predominantly Egun community panic. After contracting the ailment, the affected children developed rashes, which was similar to the symptoms of measles, and they died two to three days after.

Even though Idris said blood samples and throat swabs from the patients and water samples from the community have been taken to the Virology Reference Laboratory, the team of epidemiologists from the state ministry of health are yet to come up with the report on the source of the strange infection, but that the signs and symptoms of the illness suggested Febrile Rash.

The commissioner, Jude Idris said that so far, there were 34 cases of sick children with FRI with 17 males and 17 females. 17 dead patients have been identified with nine males and eight females and that all are within the ages of eight and 72 months.

He also added,  “the graves of 20 children who died from the FRI since the onset of signs and symptoms in the first case on January 6, 2016 have been identified by their parents.”

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Idris urged members of the community to practice basic environmental sanitation, including proper disposal of refuse, and avoiding open defecation, as well as regular hand washing with soap and water, maintaining personal hygiene, adequate nutrition, and antenatal care for pregnant women.

He listed other measures as “immunisation of children against deadly vaccine and preventable childhood diseases, and regular checkups towards ensuring early diagnosis and prompt treatment of both communicable and non-communicable diseases.