Plateau records fresh cases of Lassa fever

•Delta hospital scales 21-day surveillance
The Plateau government says new cases of the dreaded Lassa fever have been recorded in the state.

Meanwhile, the management of El Comfort Hospital, Asaba, Delta State has scaled the 21-day surveillance on exposed persons.

Plateau Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kuden Kamshak, made the disclosure during the monthly briefing organised for state officials by his Information and Communication counterpart, Mallam Ahmad Nazif, in Jos.

Kamshak assured that government had taken necessary measures to contain the outbreak.

According to him, the viral fever is transmitted by a specie of rat commonly seen within households but, which ironically, some communities use for delicacies.

He added: “So, as we speak now, we have been able to screen about seven people who are suspected to have this disease. Out of the seven that we took their blood to Iruwa in Edo State, two of them came out positive.

“One is a student who was admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). He has been treated and discharged. We are thinking of delisting him because he have spent the 21 mandatory days, which is the incubating period of this viral fever.

“The other lady that was positive is a Fulani woman from Riyom local government area. She is presently on admission in JUTH and recuperating. As at this morning (yesterday), we are told of three suspected cases of Lassa again at the JUTH. And as I speak, we have been able to take samples to find out whether they are really Lassa fever cases or not.”

The hospital commended officials of the Delta State Ministry of Health for their efforts in managing the recent outbreak which claimed a medical practitioner, Dr. Okeke whom the facility rejected before his eventual referral to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi where he eventually died.

The Medical Director of El Comfort Hospital, Dr. Ajufoh Ben-Ifeanyi, in a chat with reporters, he maintained that none of his workers was neither infected nor died.

He explained that the hospital had been fumigated and its facilities decontaminated, maintaining that the surveillance of exposed persons ended after the 21 days required and “till date, no other person has shown sign of infection in Delta State.”