Lassa fever in Nigeria!

LASSA FEVER IS ON THE RAMPAGE AGAIN IN NIGERIA!

BUT THERE ARE SIMPLE STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO PREVENT THE INFECTION.

RECENTLY, THE NIGERIA CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL, NCDC, CONFIRMED OVER 20 DEATHS  IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH FROM LASSA FEVER OUTBREAK IN OVER 10 STATES.

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF NCDC, DOCTOR. CHIKWE IHEKWEAZU, DISCLOSED THAT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2018, A TOTAL OF 107 SUSPECTED CASES WERE RECORDED IN EDO, ONDO, BAUCHI, NASARAWA, EBONYI, ANAMBRA, BENUE, KOGI, IMO AND LAGOS STATES WITH 61 CONFIRMED CASES.

IHEKWEAZU EXPLAINED THAT FOLLOWING THE INCREASING NUMBER OF LASSA FEVER CASES REPORTED FROM SEVERAL STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE NCDC REACTIVATED ITS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE,EOC TO COORDINATE THE RESPONSE TO THE OUTBREAK ON BEHALF OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH.

“THE EOC HAS DEPLOYED RAPID RESPONSE TEAMS TO THE MOST AFFECTED STATES WHICH INCLUDES EBONYI, ONDO AND EDO STATES. “THE RRTS ARE SUPPORTING THE STATES IN RESPONSE COORDINATION, CONTACT TRACING, CASE MANAGEMENT, RISK COMMUNICATION AND STRENGTHENING INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL PRACTICES. EMERGENCY SUPPLIES HAVE ALSO BEEN SENT TO TREATMENT CENTRES IN ALL AFFECTED STATES.

HE SAID THE NCDC IS COLLABORATING WITH THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO), FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, IRRUA SPECIALIST TEACHING HOSPITAL, AFRICAN FIELD EPIDEMIOLOGY NETWORK, US CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, AND OTHER AGENCIES, IN SUPPORTING THE RESPONSE IN THE AFFECTED STATES.