The National Centre for Disease Control said in its latest report on Tuesday that 19 people had been killed by Lassa fever in the country, with 318 su
The National Centre for Disease Control said in its latest report on Tuesday that 19 people had been killed by Lassa fever in the country, with 318 suspected cases reported in 19 states. The report said the 318 suspected cases of Lassa fever were reported from 56 council areas in 19 states. The states are Edo, 135; Ondo, 52; Ebonyi, 15; Enugu, 6; Kano, 7; Borno, 8; Nasarawa, 4; Kogi, 10; Rivers, 3; Abia, 8; Adamawa, 4; Benue, 1; Kaduna, 8; Bauchi, 11; Taraba, 11; Plateau, 10; Delta, 9; Osun, 8; and Ogun, 8.
The report added that no health care worker was infected while the NCDC Rapid Response Team had been deployed in Ondo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Delta, Kano, Katsina and Borno states.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government on Tuesday said it had quarantined 50 persons who had contact with a Lassa fever patient in the state.
“Immediately a 25-year-old student in Anambra State was diagnosed a few days ago with Lassa fever, the state government took the patient to the regional Virology Centre in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, for proper treatment.
“The health authorities quickly got in touch with some 50 persons she had come into contact with in the preceding three weeks in both her hometown and her university. All the contacts are being examined and watched closely by experts. This is in conformity with globally established protocol in treating Lassa fever.”
However, the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, has said there is no Lassa fever case in Bayelsa State. The spokesman for the FMC, Ben Akpedi, said that clinical tests on a suspected case earlier reported on January 30 had turned out negative. He urged the public to practise hand-washing and to disinfect surfaces to avoid the transmission of the virus, which spreads through ingesting food and drinks contaminated with the feaces and urine of infected rodents.
