As the death toll on Lassa Fever keeps increasing in Nigeria, a 24-year-old pregnant woman has been confirmed dead at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) Teaching Hospital in Enugu State.
According to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Ifeanyi Agujiobi, who disclosed this to journalists in Enugu, the patient presented the case of full-blown symptoms of Lassa fever and was therefore beyond saving.
However, Agujiobi assured the public that the management of the hospital and government are putting necessary measures in place to sterilize all sections of the hospital where the patient was managed including the ICU unit.
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He said that 20 new special emergency facilities across the state have been approved by the state government to attend to the issues of Lassa fever.
Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON), has called on federal and state governments to be proactive in curtailing the spread of Lassa fever in the country.
Dr Andy Ukah, the Director, Department of Registration, Ethics and Standard Enforcement, made the call on Thursday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Ukah said that the outbreak of Lassa fever was unfortunate and could be attributed to climate change and Global warming.
“The rats, which cause Lassa fever reside in the bush and during the rainy season, these rats enjoyed their food and shelter and nothing disturbed them.’’
“Immediately the dry season approaches and the vegetation cover is over, coupled with bush burning and lack of food, these rats migrate to human dwellings thereby contaminating human foods.
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