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Plateau Confirms Death of Two Persons in Suspected Lassa Fever

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
The Plateau State government has confirmed a fresh outbreak of suspected Lassa fever in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cletus Shurkuk, made this known in Jos, adding that the state has recorded three cases of Lassa fever with two fatalities and one currently undergoing treatment.
Shurkuk said that the two cases of the disease were discovered in Kanam Local Government, while a case was reported in Shendam.
The commissioner explained that one of the patients died in Shendam, while the other is at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, where the survivor is currently receiving treatment.
He also said the state government in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on receiving the reports on the outbreak, swiftly mobilised a team to the affected communities for an on-the-spot assessment, contact tracing, and to educate the people on the disease.
He noted, however, that all the contact traced tested negative, emphasizing there was no cause for alarm as health workers have been trained to respond to such incidents.
He lamented that most people go late to health facilities and urged the people to immediately visit proper health facilities when they feel unwell or notice any symptom.
He advised that people should imbibe good environmental and personal hygiene to prevent subsequent outbreak of the disease.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus.
It is transmitted to humans through exposed food and household items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected mastomy rats.
Its symptoms include headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough and abdominal pain, among others.