The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife in Osun State has confirmed that laboratory test on one of its resident doctors who died on Monday indicated that he was killed by Lassa fever.
The chairman of a committee set up by the OAUTHC on Lassa fever, Prof. Adedeji Onayade told journalists on Wednesday that the results of the test carried out on the deceased tested positive.
The deceased is the second doctor to die of the fever in the latest outbreak which has so far killed 63 people as confirmed by minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewale.
The disease has spread to at least 17 states so far.
Meanwhile, fear has gripped residents of Osun state who are worried that the situation might get worse because of the current strike by doctors in government hospitals in the state.
Onayade said: “We have a report back and the result came as positive. We were supposed to do two tests but the patient was dying when we took the first sample. “We can’t do the second test now. So we can say it is 50 per cent but we are going ahead to take necessary steps. We have informed all those who should know.”
