Following the outbreak of some unusual disease and the deaths of eight (8) people in the Savannah Region, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has issued an alert warning people in that area to be careful.
In a statement dated October 29, 2021 and signed by the Director General of GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the deceased persons are nomads in the West and North Gonja districts who have not received a yellow fever vaccine.
Portion of the statement by the GHS read “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 Fever like Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and Zika are all negative,” it said.
The statement further noted that persons with yellow fever may have a fever, jaundice and bleed from any of the body’s openings and could lead to death.
According to the GHS statement, the affected persons are nomads and residents of some communities in West and North Gonja of the Region. They are said to have never been vaccinated against yellow fever.
The statement pointed out that the GHS is urging members of the general public to take the yellow fever vaccine, which offers lifelong immunity or prevents the bite of a mosquito, by wearing clothing that covers all parts of the body. It further encouraged the public to seek early treatment if they notice the onset of symptoms they believe to be yellow fever.
In line with dealing with the current trend of affairs in the region with regards to the outbreak of the unusual disease, the GHS stated that a team of experts including those from the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control have been dispatched to the region to investigate the development and come up with an appropriate recommendations for action aimed at bring the situation under control.
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