Mother and daughter ate rats' feces, ignored warning.

LASSA FEVER: What's your attitude?
“Mum! See this, rat’s faeces is in here, I shouldn’t eat this.” Michelle ran to her mum in the living room, a cup of garri in her hand. “You’d better pick it out and drink or you’d have to wait on empty stomach for your dad.” “News of rat’s waste causing Lassa fever is everywhere like wildfire and you still want me to take this?” “Didn’t they say it is caused by one Mastomys-something specie? That’s not in my house. The rats here are much nicer than to cause whatever fever, and remember, Jesus lives here too. Just take out the droplets and eat. I’ve eaten so much of it and I’m still alive.” “Mum!” “Spare me the story, little girl, and eat.”
It’s a pity that both Michelle, her mum, and her innocent father became infected with Lassa fever, the rats weren’t so nice after all. Most people often fall victims for disobedience and complacency.
LASSA FEVER according to WHO is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses.
The primary animal host of the Lassa virus is the Natal multimammate mouse ( Mastomys natalensis ), an animal found in most of sub-Saharan Africa.
It is transmitted to humans from contacts with food or household items contaminated with rodent excreta.
6-21days after exposure to this virus, an illness involving many organs develop. The possible signs and symptoms include; facial swelling, muscle fatigue, conjunctivitis, mucosal bleeding, nausea, bloody vomiting, stomach ache, constipation, diarrhea (bloody), cough, chest pain, and dyspnoea, to mention but a few.
It is vital to report any sign of illness to the hospital for prompt and accurate diagnosis, and self medication and treatment should be avoided at all cost.
Lassa fever is as real as the air we breathe and majority of us have rats in our home, even if we can't tell the species apart. Also, there is no vaccination against lassa fever as of today. Therefore it becomes imperative for us to take extra precautions.
It may be hard or impossible to totally rid our homes of rats but we can
Keep our food in rodent proof containers
Avoid eating any food contaminated with rat excreta
Ensure physical and environmental hygiene
Report any sign of infection promptly
Ensure safety precautions & barriers e.g gloves, mask e.t.c. are used when dealing with an infected person
As we pray and believe in God's protection, we should also take responsibility to take precautions. Prevention is not just better, it is cheaper and reliable than cure..

Your Health and You!!!

Happy new year! Yes, it's a new year again, 2016. You sure have new aspirations, resolutions and expectations. But don't forget that only in good health can you achieve a thing.
Your health is you, I mean you, you reading this. Each decision you make takes its toll on you. Thus, focus should be directed towards health promotion & maintenance, and prevention of diseases, which are all embedded in "HEALTHY LIFESTYLE"
Healthy lifestyle is a major contributor to preventing health problems such as diabetes, heart problems, obesity, hypertension, and even cancer.
Yes, the following tips may not be strange to you. But it's time to stop 'just knowing' and start 'doing' to keep healthy.
Personal hygiene:- sounds weird right? Daily good bath rids you of dirts & bacteria that could cause infection. Tooth brushing, hand washing, clean clothes, and other hygienic practices are equally important.
Exercise daily:- you necessarily don't have to go to a gym. Minimum of 30 minutes brisk walking or jogging will do a lot of good to your heart and body.
Eat healthily:- of course many offers here and there, especially during this season. But watch it. Reduce cholesterol as in mayonnaise, saturated fat as in solid oil at room temperature, and salt intake. Vegetables and fruits should take the bulk of your meals. Adequate water instead of caffeinated or carbonated drinks is sure the best.
Limit stress:- yes, there's a lot of stressor out there. But you can watch it. Don't overstress yourself. Set boundaries. Avoid things that upsets you. Spend time with friends and family. Void your worries and be HAPPY.
Rest adequately:- you finish the day's activities at 9pm & you still want to watch film into the night. It's actually not pleasure. Sleep and rest is good for your body just as food is. It sharpens memory, reduces stress hormones and refreshens your mind.
Regular medical checkups:- Don't think it's not really important. Health appraisal will only help improve your health. Don't self-medicate, promptly report health problems and 'follow' medical prescription.
2016 has a lot of good in stock for you. So do yourself a favor by imbibing healthy practices that will help keep you fit. Remember, your health is you, and prevention is far better than cure. Have a blessed year. God bless!