Govt Raises Alarm As Strange Hepatitis Infections Hit Ondo

The Ondo state government says it has discovered a peculiarity in ‘hepatitis infection’ among patients undergoing treatment in the state.

Simidele Odimayo, the Special Adviser to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Health Matters, disclosed this to journalists during a sensitisation road walk to mark the World Hepatitis Day in Akure, the state capital.

Odimayo, who expressed his concerns, explained that the state government was trying to know more about the peculiarity to tackle the infection.

“The state government has observed that there is a peculiarity in the viral hepatitis that we have in the state.

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“We have seen people with low viral load in hepatitis coming up with complications,” he said.

The special adviser further revealed that ordinarily, the low viral load by the European Community for Hepatitis does not need treatment.

According to him, “But in our own case, these patients with low viral load are coming with complications of hepatitis like liver cancer.

“Then, we have looked at it to know the type of hepatitis that our people are having.”

He observed that patients will undergo viral loading and genotyping, while the samples will be sent for sequencing, adding that it would enable the state to know the peculiarity of hepatitis which the people are facing.

While revealing that those who were positive for hepatitis will be structured for tests and possible commencement of treatment, Odimayo said the governor was also passionate and concerned about the well-being of the people.