Public Health Physicians express concerns over outbreak of Lassa fever

The Federal government says 72 people have died since August, in the Lassa fever outbreak which Nigeria is battling with and 212 are suffering from the disease.

The minister of health, Professor Isaac Adewole made the disclosure while inaugurating the Lassa Fever Eradication Committee in Abuja on Tuesday, January 19.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris had said that those placed under surveillance are being followed-up in line with global standards as the government is doing everything possible to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.

The 17 affected states reporting cases include Bauchi, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Plateau, Gombe, Nasarawa, Lagos, Delta, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Zamfara and Kogi as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

“There is a high level of denial and a conspiracy of silence in some of our states”.

“We are waging total war and that is: ‘War against Rats, ‘ and that is what we are going to do to ensure we do not have another victim of Lassa Fever in the state”.

The statement confirmed the deadly disease purportedly contacted by a 25-year- old, male, undergraduate student of the Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU) Zaria in Kaduna state.

Also in a communiqué, the NCH said it had received a presentation on the epidemiological situation of the current Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria including available response infrastructure/resource requirements by Prof.

Speaking with State House correspondents after the signing of the updated memorandum of understanding at the Presidential Villa, the minister cited the case of Ebonyi State, which had so far recorded about five cases of Lassa fever but never cared to report to his ministry for necessary action.

But he said the disease was endemic in Nigeria, stressing that this will be the first time the government is being transparent about the disease.

He said every state should consider itself at risk and put measures in place to contain and prevent the disease.

According to him, the centres are Lassa fever Treatment Centre, Irrua, Edo; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno; Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano. “We also advice that graves must be dug very deep”.

This is in addition to the six existing Lassa fever treatment centres.

On how to avoid contacting the disease, Idris said the public should stay away from rats, avoid eating it and report any persistent fever to the nearest public health facility. Lassa fever occurs more often in the dry season.