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The Abia State government says its attention has been drawn to a reported epidemic of Lassa Fever at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia, capital of Abia State.

The State Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu, in a statement on Monday, said the state Ministry of health, was working assiduously with the authorities of FMC towards ensuring full containment of the disease and prophylactic treatment of others who may have come in contact with the victims.

According to officials in public health, the first confirmed case of super, multi-drug resistant gonorrhea in the world has been confirmed in the United Kingdom.

For some time, there has been anxiety expressed by health experts about the rise in strains that are drug resistant of the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI).

Even as strains of gonorrhea have started to elude different antibiotics, doctors have been able in most cases treat the infection using combinations of medications, until now.

The state of pregnancy is distinctive and special in more ways than one. As it is known that oral cavity is the mirror of the body’s health, it is commonly neglected during pregnancy owing to associated myths and lack of awareness.

The hormonal changes the body goes through during pregnancy makes one more susceptible to gum disease, gestational diabetes, which in turn, can affect the health of your developing baby.

It is vital to maintain oral health during pregnancy as periodontitis commonly known as Pyorrhoea is linked with low birth weight babies, pre-term babies, etc.

Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) said it was important to improve the health literacy of citizens on moderating family size as 25 per cent of pregnancies in Nigeria were high risk. Prof. Oladapo Ladipo, President AAFP, who made this known while briefing newsmen in Abuja explained that high risk pregnancies were pregnancies that could lead to maternal death or adverse complications for the woman.

Themis Bioscience a leading company developing prophylactic vaccines against emerging tropical infectious diseases, has indicated plans to start in-human testing of its vaccine against the deadly Lassa fever disease as early as this year, with help from $37.5 million in funding from the public-private vaccine alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

As an unprecedented Lassa fever outbreak devastates Nigeria, Themis aims to generate safety and immunogenicity data in about three years, to lay the groundwork for emergency use.

The first step is to enter the clinic early next year, or even late this year, Themis CEO Erich Tauber told FiercePharma.

Mr Moses Tingir, a clinical psychologist in Garki Hospital, Abuja, said work place stress could adversely affect optimal performance, weaken immune system and cause depression if not properly managed. Tingir, who is also a member of British Psychological Society, in an interview with the press said that failure to properly manage work place related stress could lead to complications such mood swing, anxiety, depression, weak immune system and even total breakdown.