Health Alert: Deadly New Disease, Stephens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) Hits Nigeria

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A deadly new disease called Stephens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) has hit the country. Alerting the public about the outbreak on Friday at a press conference in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole revealed the disease has claimed a life already, adding that another person affected by the disease was responding to treatment at the National Hospital, Abuja.

Punch reports the minister described the disease as an unusual allergic reaction to medications found in Nigeria and some parts of Europe.

Dr. Olanrewaju Falodun, a Senior Consultant Physician/Dermatologist at the National Hospital, added,

“SJS is an immune complex mediated hypersensitivity reaction that typically involves the skin and mucous membranes and was first described in 1922 by Albert Stevens and Frank Johnson.

SJS is a rare and unpredictable reaction, and is also a minor form of toxic epidermal necrolysis with less than 10 per cent body surface area involvement.

SJS is a rare but serious and potentially life-threatening contagious drug reaction. Incidence of SJS is estimated between 1.1 and 7.1 cases per million per year and is more prevalent in women than men…”

He also revealed that outbreaks of the disease are higher in Africa because of the extensive use of herbal drugs and the prevalence of HIV.

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Assuring the public that the Federal Government is putting measures in place to curb the outbreak, the minister called for thorough scrutiny of drug leaflets before taking drugs to guide against adverse effects.

He urged Nigerians to always involve health practitioners when unexplained reactions occur as a result of infections or in the use of drugs as the syndrome is unpredictable.

Common symptoms of the deadly disease include aches and pains, shedding of skin, fatigue, tongue swelling, fever, sore throat, hives and running nose.