According to the National Center for Disease Control, Lassa fever has already spread to 33 states in the country, while 1,447 cases have been recorded already in 2019. NCDC has also stated that the death toll has now risen to 96 persons, making the death rate increase to 22.1 percent.
In its most recent report, the agency indicated that at least, one affected person has been recorded in 66 local government areas of 20 states plus the Federal Capital Territory.
Recall that we earlier reported that 1, 374 cases had been recorded as at Friday. Read the story here.
NCDC equally mentioned that the states where Lassa fever has been recorded include Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo, Kebbi and Cross River, as well as FCT.
Ms. Chioma Dan-Nwafor, the Incident Manager for the National Emergency Operation Center, explained that the agency had already set up treatment centers in the states where the outbreak has been recorded. She also mentioned that those affected are already on 21 days of surveillance.
“We have treatment centers across the country and all cases are referred to the centers for management. The health workers at the centers are supported with personal protective equipment. We also deplore rapid response to states with a high record of cases such as Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, and Plateau states,” Dan-Nwafor stated while explaining the strategies being adopted to curb the spread of the disease.
“It is a multi-sectoral approach; we have the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture being part of the team. The two ministries are important in terms of control measure and environmental sanitation. They strengthen the teams’ activities down to the grass roots.
“We have given case management guidelines to all treatment centers. We follow confirmed cases for 21 days and isolate them if necessary,” Chioma clarified.
She further stated that sensitization programs have kick-started in different communities, urging that any case of malaria that is not yielding to malaria treatment should be handled carefully.
Also, read: Buhari should relax his rigidity in his next administration – Amechi
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