The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, says after the outbreak of a certain Febrile Rash Illnesses, FRI, which claimed the lives of over 25 children in Otodo Gbame community in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state, results have emerged that the FRI was measles.
It would be recalled that the Commissioner, last week, confirmed the death of 25 children as a result of an outbreak of the FRI.
He confirmed that there were 34 cases of sick children with FRI, stating further that the graves of 20 children who died from the FRI were discovered since the signs and symptoms in the first case on January 6 were identified.
Following the recent development, however, the Commissioner, at a press conference yesterday, said the results of the blood samples sent to three laboratories in the state tested positive to measles.
Idris said, “The results of water samples from the community showed that they were contaminated with disease-causing pathogens.
“The results of the five samples taken to the Central Public Health Laboratory, Yaba, tested positive for IgM, a blood marker for measles virus.
“The four throat swabs and one blood sample investigated at the Virology Reference Laboratory, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, also tested positive for measles virus.
“However, the result of the well water samples analysed at the Drug Quality Control Laboratory shows several pathogens.
“This is an indication that the well water is not safe for human consumption,” the Commissioner averred.
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