Eight persons have been confirmed dead by an unusual disease in the Savannah Region of the country.
The disease, according to the Ghana Health Service, is presumed to be Yellow Fever and samples have been shipped for final confirmation.
A press release signed by the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr.Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, indicated that tests for other Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers like Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and Zika are all negative.
“The Ghana Health Service has received interim laboratory results of an unusual disease from the Savannah Region of the country, that has led to the death of eight (8) people.
“The disease is presumed to be Yellow Fever and samples have been shipped for final confirmation. Tests for other Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers like Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and Zika are all negative.”
“The affected persons are nomads in selected communities in West and North Gonja of the region who have never been vaccinated against yellow fever” the statement added.
The Ghana Health Service has directed persons from that part of the region who have fever, general weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting to immediately report to the nearest health facility.
Meanwhile, a team of experts from Ghana Health Service, Center for Disease Control (CDC) Ghana, World Health Organization (WHO) Ghana, and Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) have been dispatched to support the Region to investigate and institute appropriate control measures.
The general public would be updated following the outcome of the investigations and also on the final laboratory confirmation,the statement added.
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SYMPTOMS.
A person with Yellow Fever may have fever and jaundice in the early stages and later on bleed from any of the body openings (e.g. nose, mouth, bloody stools, Vomiting Blood).
You can get Yellow Fever through the bite of the Aedes mosquito and prevention is mainly by taking the Yellow Fever vaccine or preventing the bite of a mosquito.
A Yellow fever vaccine provides lifelong immunity to an individual.
We are urging the general public to take the following actions:
• Get yourself vaccinated against Yellow Fever if never vaccinated
• Avoid mosquito bites by wearing clothing that cover all parts of the body
• Report to the nearest health facility if you have a fever and especially when you have yellowish discoloration of your eyes.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vincent Kwofie