Cervical cancer risks and causes

How common cervical cancer is

Around 3,100 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK each year. Overall, about 2 out of every 100 cancers diagnosed in women (2%) are cervical cancers. But it is the most common cancer in women under 35 years old.
More than 4 million women are invited for cervical screening each year in England.  Around 1 in 100 women screened has a moderate or high grade abnormality (1%). Early treatment can prevent these cervical changes developing into cancer.

 

What a risk factor is

Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Different cancers have different risk factors. This page discusses the risk factors for cervical cancer. Even if you have one or more of the risk factors below, it does not mean that you will definitely get cervical cancer.

 

HPV infection

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the major cause of the main types of cervical cancer – squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma. There are over 100 different types of human papilloma virus (HPV). At least 40 types are passed on through sexual contact. Some types are called the wart virus or genital wart virus because they cause genital warts. The types of HPV that cause warts do not usually cause cell changes that develop into cancer.
At least 15 types of HPV are considered high risk for cancer of the cervix - they include types 16 and 18. These 2 types cause about 7 out of 10 cancers of the cervix (70%). If you have persistent infections with high risk types of HPV, you are more at risk of developing pre cancerous cervical cells or cervical cancer.
HPV is common. Most sexually active women will come into contact with at least one type of HPV during their lifetime. But for most the virus causes no harm and goes away on its own. So other factors must be needed for cancer to develop. If men use a condom during penetrative sex, this reduces the risk of a woman becoming infected with HPV.
There are now vaccines to prevent HPV infection. All girls aged 12 or 13 in the UK are routinely offered the HPV vaccine at school. These vaccines protect against the strains of HPV that are most likely to cause cervical cancer. But they don't protect against all strains. It will take some years before the introduction of the vaccine has a major effect on reducing the number of cases of cervical cancer. So it is still important to carry on with cervical cancer screening.

 

Other sexually transmitted infections

One study has shown having both herpes and HPV infection may increase the risk of cervical cancer, after taking into account HPV infection and the number of sex partners women had and their use of the pill. However, another more recent study has shown no link.
Another study looked at infection with HPV and chlamydia (pronounced klah-mid-ee-ah). The study found that the risk of squamous cell cancer around doubled in women with both infections.

 

Smoking

If you smoke, you are more likely to develop squamous cell cervical cancer. Researchers have found cancer causing chemicals (benzyrene) from cigarette smoke in the cervical mucus of women who smoke. They think that these chemicals damage the cervix. There are cells in the lining of the cervix called Langerhans cells that specifically help fight against disease. These cells do not work so well in smokers.
If you have a high risk type of HPV infection and smoke, you are twice as likely to have pre cancerous cells in your cervical screening test, or to get cervical cancer. The Langerhans cells are less able to fight off the virus and protect the cervical cells from the genetic changes that can lead to cancer.
A type of study called a meta analysis combines the results of several individual studies looking into a particular topic. This is more reliable than the results of a single study. A recent meta analysis showed the risk of squamous cell cervical cancer is doubled in women who currently smoke. An estimated 7% of cervical cancers in the UK are linked to smoking.

 

A weakened immune system

If you have a weakened immune system, then your risk of many cancers, including cervical cancer, is higher than average. People with HIV and AIDS, or people taking drugs to suppress their immune systems after an organ transplant, are more at risk of developing cervical cancer if they also have HPV infection. However, if you have had an organ transplant and have regular cervical screening, your risks will be the same as the general population.
This is because a healthy immune system normally protects you from cells that have become abnormal. Your immune system will kill off the cells and so prevent them from becoming cancerous.

 

The pill

Research that looked at a number of studies together shows that taking the pill could increase a woman's risk of developing cervical cancer. It is not clear why this is. The researchers took account of other factors, such as the number of sexual partners, smoking, and most importantly, infection with HPV. Researchers suspected that there was a link with taking the pill, but clear evidence has not come out of the studies until more recently.
Before now we thought that the pill was statistically linked to cervical cancer because women on the pill are more likely to be sexually active and so more at risk of picking up HPV. Also, they do not necessarily use barrier contraception (condom or cap) which could prevent them picking up the HPV. But now it seems that it may actually directly increase the risk.
Recent research suggests that amongst women who have taken the pill for at least 5 years, risk is almost doubled. But this is still a small risk, and it is important to know that taking the pill can help to protect you against womb and ovarian cancers.
The evidence suggests that the increased risk of cervical cancer begins to drop as soon as you stop taking the pill. After 10 years the risk is the same as if you had never taken it. The important thing to remember is that regular screening can pick up changes in the cervix before they develop into a cancer. Obviously, screening is now very important for women taking the pill.

Circumcision

Some research suggests that women with partners who have been circumcised are less likely to get cervical cancer. This may be because men who are circumcised are less likely to carry HPV infection. This research took into account different factors relating to sexual behaviour.

 

Your sex life

You will quite often hear that women who started having sex young or women who have a lot of different sex partners are more likely to get cervical cancer. But really, this is only true because the earlier you start having sex and the more men you have sex with, the more likely you are to pick up an infection with a high risk (cancer causing) human papilloma virus (HPV). And so then you are more at risk of developing cervical cancer.
It is not correct to say that women who get cervical cancer have it because they were promiscuous (slept around). After all, you could have only slept with one man and still caught the virus if he had it. If he's had lots of partners, that will increase your risk, because it indirectly exposes you to possible sexual infections from lots of other people.
Health education may help women reduce their exposure to HPV and so reduce the risk of cervical cancer. Some studies have shown that teaching women about healthy sexual behaviour, such as using condoms, avoiding sex when they are young, learning how to talk to their partner about safe sex and reducing the number of sexual partners, can help them behave in ways that may lower their cervical cancer risk.

Back to top

 

Pregnancy

There is no evidence to say that pregnancy is linked with the risk of cervical cancer. Women who are pregnant may have cervical screening and so this can lead to women being diagnosed with pre cancerous changes or cervical cancer while they are pregnant.

Back to top

 

How many children you have, and when

Women who have had children are at an increased risk of squamous cell cervical cancer compared to those who haven't. Women who have had 7 or more children have double the risk of squamous cell cervical cancer compared to women who have had only 1 child. Having your first baby before the age of 17 also gives a higher risk, compared to women who had their first baby after the age of 25. There is no link to adenocarcinoma. This research took into account HPV infection, number of sexual partners and the age women were when they first had sex. And they found that HPV infection did not explain the increase in cervical cancer. However the reasons for this are unclear.

 

Genetics - ethnic groups and family links

One study showed that women with a first degree relative (mother, sister or daughter) diagnosed with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix have around double the risk of developing cervical cancer, compared to women without a family history. But we don’t know whether this is linked to faulty genes, or whether it is due to common lifestyle factors and it is just one study.

 

Chemicals at work

Around 1 out of 100 cervical cancers in women in the UK (1%) are thought to be linked to occupation. This is due to exposure to a chemical called tetrachloroethylene. This is used in dry cleaning and metal degreasing.

Social Class

It has also been shown that women living in the poorest (most deprived) areas of the UK are more likely to develop cervical cancer than those living in more wealthy areas.

 

A drug called diethylstilboestrol

Diethylstilboestrol is also called DES. It is a drug that doctors gave women in the 1940s to 60s to stop them having a miscarriage. The daughters of women who took DES during their pregnancy are more at risk of developing a rare type of cervical cancer called clear cell adenocarcinoma. DES hasn't been used for 40 years and so is becoming less important as a risk factor.

What is the cervix?

The cervix, or the neck of the womb, and the womb are both parts of a female reproductive system. The female reproductive system consists of:

• Vagina
• Womb (uterus), which includes the cervix
• Ovaries.

Women have two ovaries, one on either side of the lower abdomen (pelvis). Each month one of the ovaries produces an egg. Each ovary is connected to the uterus by a tube called the Fallopian tube.
In between each menstrual period an egg travels down one of the fallopian tubes and into the uterus. They alternate - one month may be the left side, and the next month the right side. When the egg enters the womb its lining thickens in preparation; in case the egg is fertilized by a man's sperm. If fertilization does not occur the thickened lining of the uterus is shed - a period (menses) occurs.
The cervix is the opening from the uterus to the vagina. It is a tight muscle that is normally firmly shut, with a small opening to allow the sperm through and the flow from a menstrual period. During labor (childbirth) the cervix opens.

Types of cervical cancer

Ectocervix - flat cells - squamous cell cervical cancer

The ectocervix is the portion of the cervix that projects into the vagina, also known and the portio vaginalis. It is about 3 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. There are flat cells on the outer surface of the ectocervix. These fish scale-like cells can become cancerous, leading to squamous cell cervical cancer.
Squamous cells - flat cells that look like fish scales. The word comes from Latin "squama" meaning "the scale of a fish or serpent". Our outer-layer skin cells are squamous cells, as well as the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts, and the linings of hollow internal organs.

Endocervix - glandular cells - adenocarcinoma of the cervix

The endocervix is the inside of the cervix. There are glandular cells lining the endocervix; these cells produce mucus. These glandular cells can become cancerous, leading to adenocarcinoma of the cervix.
Adenocarcinoma - any cancer that develops in the lining or inner surface of an organ.

Transformation zone

This is where cervical cells are most likely to become cancerous. The transformation zone is located around the opening of the cervix, leading on to the endocervical canal (narrow passageway running up the cervix into the uterus). During cervical screening doctors and nurses will focus on this area.

Causes of cervical cancer

Cancer is the result of the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells. Most of the cells in our body have a set lifespan; when they die new cells are produced to replace them. Abnormal cells can have two problems:

1. They do not die
2. They continue dividing.

This results in an excessive accumulation of cells which eventually form a lump - a tumor. Scientists are not completely sure why cells become cancerous. However, there are some risk factors which are known to increase the risk of developing cervical cancer. These risk factors include:

HPV (human papilloma virus)

Around 70% of cervical cancer cases are estimated to be caused by HPV.

Human papilloma virus infection is a sexually transmitted virus. There are over 100 different types of HPVs - 15 types can cause cervical cancer; probably 99% of them. In addition there are a number of types which can cause genital warts. It is estimated that HPV types 16 and 18 cause about 70% of cases cervical cancer while HPV types 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital warts.
Other HPV types can cause cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) - the growth of abnormal cells on the surface of the cervix.

Many sexual partners, becoming sexually active early

Cervical cancer-causing HPV types are nearly always transmitted as a result of sexual contact with an infected individual. Women who have had many sexual partners generally have a higher risk of becoming infected with HPV, which raises their risk of developing cervical cancer. There is also a link between becoming sexually active at a young age and a higher risk of cervical cancer.
If a woman develops cervical cancer it does not mean she had several sexual partners, or became sexually active earlier than most other females. It is just a risk factor. Women who only ever had one sexual partner can develop cervical cancer.

Smoking

Smoking increases the risk of developing many cancers, including cervical cancer.

Weakened immune system

People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, or transplant recipients taking immunosuppressive medications have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.

Certain genetic factors

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University found that women with certain gene variations appear to be protected against cervical cancer.

Long-term mental stress

A woman who experiences high levels of stress over a sustained period may be undermining her ability to fight off HPV and be at increased risk of developing cervical cancer it can cause, scientists at the Fox Chase Cancer Center reported.

Giving birth at a very young age

Women who gave birth before the age of 17 are significantly more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women who had their first baby when they were aged 25 or over.

Several pregnancies

Women who have had at least three children in separate pregnancies are more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women who never had children.

Contraceptive pill

Long-term use of some common contraceptive pills slightly raises a woman's risk.

Other sexually transmitted diseases (STD)

Women who become infected with chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer. Scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina found that HPV infections last longer if Chlamydia also is present.

Socio-economic status

Studies in several countries have revealed that women in deprived areas have significantly higher rates of cervical cancer, compared to women who live in other areas. Studies have also found higher rates in women of working age in manual jobs, compared to women in non-manual jobs. The most likely reason is a difference in the proportion of women who have regular screening. Scientists at King's College London found that some areas in South East England had rates that were three times higher than neighboring areas.

Africa must establish its own International Criminal Court to try Europeans, says Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who is also the African Union (AU) chair, says Africa must establish its own International Criminal Court (ICC) which would be mandated to prosecute Western leaders who have committed crimes on the continent.
According to the state-owned Chronicle newspaper, Mugabe said it was high time Africa set up a criminal court which would seek justice for “serious” war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the West, particularity during the colonial era.
“They committed crimes, colonial crimes galore – the slaughter of our people and all that imprisonment… I have a case, why was I imprisoned for 11 years? We forgave them, but perhaps we’ve not done ourselves justice… You set up the ICC, we set our ICC to try Europeans, to try Mr [George] Bush and Mr [Tony] Blair,”
Mugabe was quoted as saying.

Mugabe said the International Criminal Court was a court for Western countries, dispensing Western injustice on Africans.

Mass withdrawal

Mugabe said this while addressing journalists at the Harare international airport where he was seeing off his Malian counterpart Ibrahim Boubacar Keita after his three-day state visit to the southern African country.

Keita concurred, adding it was “up to Africans, not Europeans or Americans to judge their leaders”.
Mugabe’s remarks came a few days after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir evaded an ICC arrest order by leaving early from an African Union summit that was held in Johannesburg.

At the summit, Mugabe wanted a mass withdrawal of African states from the ICC.

The veteran leader harshly criticised the ICC after Al-Bashir dodged his arrest, saying the international court was not wanted in Africa.

“This is not the headquarters of the ICC, we do not want it in this region at all,” Mugabe said.
Mugabe also took a swipe at the “foreign” funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs), whom he said were angling for Al-Bashir’s arrest.

Harper Lee dead at age of 89: 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author passes away

Author Nelle Harper Lee, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961 for her book, "To Kill a Mockingbird," passed away in her sleep Friday morning at the age of 89, her family has confirmed.
"This is a sad day for our family. America and the world knew Harper Lee as one of the last century's most beloved authors," Hank Conner, Lee's nephew and a spokesman for the family, said in a statement Friday morning.
"We knew her as Nelle Harper Lee, a loving member of our family, a devoted friend to the many good people who touched her life, and a generous soul in our community and our state. We will miss her dearly."
Conner's statement indicated that "Ms. Lee passed away in her sleep early this morning. Her passing was unexpected. She remained in good basic health until her passing."
Services for Lee have not been announced, but Conner said the funeral will be private as per her request.
Lee was born April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, the youngest of four children of lawyer Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee.
As a child, Lee attended elementary school and high school just a few blocks from her house on Alabama Avenue. In a March 1964 interview, she offered this capsule view of her childhood: "I was born in a little town called Monroeville, Alabama, on April 28, 1926. I went to school in the local grammar school, went to high school there, and then went to the University of Alabama. That's about it, as far as education goes."
She moved to New York in 1949, where she worked as an airlines reservations clerk while pursuing a writing career. Eight years later, Lee submitted her manuscript for "To Kill a Mockingbird" to J.B. Lippincott & Co., which asked her to rewrite it.
On July 11, 1960, "To Kill a Mockingbird" was published by Lippincott with critical and commercial success. The author won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year.
Lee's novel tells the story of small-town lawyer Atticus Finch of Maycomb, Ala.—based on Monroeville — and his children, Scout and Jem. Told from Scout's point of view, the book reflects the innocence of children growing up in the early 1930s. It also depicts the various social classes that existed then, and brings the undercurrents of racism to light.
More than a half-century after its publication, the novel continues to be studied by high school and college students. It has sold more than 30 million copies—still selling nearly a million copies per year by the 50th anniversary of its publication in 2010, according to Publishers Weekly--and has been translated into more than 40 languages.
The film adaptation of the novel, with Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and Mary Badham as Scout, opened on Christmas Day of 1962 and was an instant hit. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won four, including Best Actor for Peck and Best Screenplay for Horton Foote, who wrote the screenplay for the movie based on the book. Lee became close friends with both of them.
The novel also inspired a generation of lawyers with its portrayal of the gentle, wise Atticus Finch, who defends a black man, Tom Robinson, falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Meanwhile, the Finches' strange neighbor, Boo Radley, who strikes fear in Scout's and Jem's hearts, turns out not to be the monster the children expect him to be.
Though Lee denied that the novel was autobiographical, many parallels exist between "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Lee's own childhood. Her father was also a lawyer who owned the town newspaper.  Comparisons have been made between Lee and Scout, the 9-year-old tomboy protagonist, especially in her friendship with Dill, a character widely considered to have been based on Lee's own childhood friend, Truman Capote. 
When he was a child, the author of "In Cold Blood" often stayed with his cousins, who lived next door to the Lees. Capote and Lee collaborated on the early stages of his novel and remained lifelong friends.
The interior of the Monroe County Courthouse was reconstructed on a movie set in Hollywood for the film's pivotal courtroom scenes, and local actors bring the book to life each spring at the courthouse itself, where they stage "To Kill a Mockingbird" to sellout crowds.
The press-averse author was thrust into the public eye in February 2015, when her publisher, HarperCollins, announced the upcoming release of "Go Set a Watchman," Lee's second and final full-length published work.
The announcement almost immediately sparked rumors that Lee – who had long said she would never publish another novel – had been taken advantage of by her attorney, Tonja Carter.
In February 2015, the Alabama Department of Human Resources met with Lee at Meadows of Monroeville, the southern Alabama assisted living facility where she resided, and concluded that she was mentally competent to handle her affairs, but rumors persisted that she was not lucid enough to sign off on business decisions.
A guardedly private individual, Lee was respected and protected by residents of the town that displays Mockingbird-themed murals and each year stages theatrical productions of "To Kill a Mockingbird."
Lee returned to Monroeville for good once her beloved sister Alice became ill and needed help. She'd eat breakfast each morning at the same fast-food place, and could later be seen picking up Alice from the law firm founded by their father, which currently employs Carter.
Since she stopped granting interviews in 1964, Harper Lee has been fiercely protected by Monroeville residents. In addition to maintaining an apartment in New York City, Lee lived in her hometown with her sister, Alice Finch Lee, who is 15 years older and practiced law until she was 100 years old.
In recent years, Harper Lee had experienced declining health after a stroke left her partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. She also had lost 95 percent of her vision, according to a 2011 interview with Alice Lee in the Press-Register.

Jumia Staff Writes In About Colleague Who Died A Month To His Wedding, Due To Poor Working Conditions

The mail reads thus: “Please and please kindly keep me anonymous please dont reveal my identity. I work with Jumia. Monday will never be the same in the lives of Ola Sanusi’s family. This is not the 1st time a person will die in Jumia warehouse, Ola was just so unfortunate to be among.
I cant lie to you we workers of Jumia use to stand for at least 10hrs while the expatriate sit in d office where there is AC, chairs, etc. Our warehouse at universal road via adeniyi jones is nothing to write home about because its not even conducive. Ola was working inside the highvalue where fones and other fragile things were kpt wen he slumped and be for he got to the hospital he gave up the ghost.
As big as that warehouse is, we dont have a first aid box talkless of a doctor or sick bay who takes care of we workers while those expatriate live in a house in lekki worth N72m and earn fat salaries while we workers are subjected to ridicule by giving us peanuts and making sure we work more than necessary.
This is the second time we are recording death case inside the warehouse, one was a carpenter who fell from the roof and died now its Ola. Ope, his colleague, was one of d people who escaped death when last year, he slumped and went into comma for good one month.
Ola joined Jumia in march 2013. On monday when he was working he didn’t show any sign of sickness we have always complained that we cant be standing for 10hrs everyday but our managers didn’t say anything about it. As at 1:10pm, Ola slumped and for some minutes he was grasping for breath.
So painful so tragic, because next month is his wedding ceremony. For how long is this going to continue. Nobody is speaking for us. Now those indians want to bribe us just for the media not to get a whim of what happened in the warehouse but can this go on forever?

controversy as press,Buhari sack 13 vice chancellors appointed by jonathan see the list

The Federal Government has sacked all the vice chancellors of 12 federal universities that were established by the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. 

Also affected by the sack is the Vice Chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Vincent Tenebe. 

Their dismissal which was contained in a short statement signed by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and obtained by journalists on Saturday in Abuja, simply said:
"President Muahammadu Buhari, has approved the appointment of new vice chancellors for the universities."

But the decision is already generating ripples, with some members of the academic community claiming that it is only the Governing Council of NOUN of which Tenebe is a member, that could remove him. 

A human rights organisation, Coalition of Civil Society Groups has protested against the sack in a letter to Buhari, demanding the reversal of the decision in which the NOUN VC was replaced with Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu of the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.

The petitioners said that four out of the 12 newly appointed vice chancellors are from Kano University, an action they said, was a clear violation of the federal character principle.

Vice Chancellors affected by the sack apart from Prof Tenebe include Prof. Mobolaji E. Aluko (Otuoke, Bayelsa), Prof. Jibril Amin (Dutse Jigawa), Prof. James Ayatse (Dutsin-Ma, Katisina), Prof. Mohammed Farouk (Kashere, Gombe) and Prof. Ekanem Braide (Lafia, Nasarawa).

Also affected were Prof. Abdulmumini Rafindadi (Lokoja, Kogi), Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe (Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi), Prof. Isaac Asuzu (Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti), Prof. Geoffrey Okogbaa (Wukari, Taraba), Prof. Lawal Suleiman Bilbis (Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi, Prof. Ben Chuks Okeke (Gusau, Zamfara) and Prof. Shehu Abdulrahman (Gasua, Zamfara).

The statement by Adamu also announced the replacement for the sacked Vice Chancellors.

A former Head of the Department of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, who was said to be on Sabbatical in NOUN, is the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

While the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State has Prof. Auwal Yadudu of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano as its new VC, Prof. Fatima Batoul Muktar of the Department of Biology, North West University, Kano is the VC of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State.

A lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Haruna Abdu Kaita, is the new VC of Federal University, Dutsin Ma, Katsina State, while Prof. Andrew Haruna of the Department of Linguistics, University of Jos will now function as the VC of the Federal University, Gashua, Yobe State.

While another lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, ABU, Zaria, Prof. Magaji Garba, will now be VC in Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State, Prof. Alhassan Mohammed Gani of the Institute of Maritime Studies, Federal University, Kashere in Gombe State has been elevated to the position of VC in the same University.

A lecturer in the Department of Physics, Federal University, Lafia, Prof. Muhammad Sanusi Liman, will henceforth be VC of the same institution.

For Prof. Angela Freeman Miri of the Linguistics Department, UNIJOS, her new portfolio is the Federal University, Lokoja, where she will now be VC.

The Federal University, Ndifu-Alike, Ebonyi State now has Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba of the Post-Graduate School, Imo State University, Owerri as its VC, while Prof. Seth Accra Jaja of the Department of Management, University of Port Harcourt is now the VC of Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State.

Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu of the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano is to replace Tenebe at NOUN.

- See more at: http://www.homelandnewsng.com/education/3139-controversy-pres-buhari-sacks-13-vice-chancellors-appointed-jonathan-see-list#sthash.makZzMQ8.dpuf

strange disease hits lagos 25 children to death

- The Lagos State Government says its medical experts have been despatched to Otodo-Gbame Community in Ikate, Lekki area of the state to unravel the mysterious disease that killed no fewer than 25 children. The affected children were said to have developed rashes which was similar to the symptoms of measles, and died two to three days after infection.

Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Adeola Salako,  made this known in an interview the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

According to Salako, no further death has been recorded since February 10 when the team of epidemiological investigators, led by epidemiologists from the state Ministry of Health, commenced investigation.

She said the ministry responded immediately news about the strange disease was received, adding that the team was despatched to the community on February 10.

She said: “We have already responded as some epidemiologists have been sent to take samples of water and blood from some of the children to know what the cause is.

“The investigation is meant to verify the assertions and the cause of deaths through laboratory investigation of water, throat swabs and blood samples of children with suspected cases and to proffer solutions.”

NAN reports that the yet-to-be-identified disease, which started sometime in January 2016, had brought panic to the community predominantly dominated by the Eguns.

NAN also recalls that the affected children after contacting the strange ailment, developed rashes, which was similar to the symptom of measles, and died two to three days after.