One dies as Lassa fever infects three in two states

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), yesterday, confirmed two new cases of Lassa fever in Ondo State and one in Edo. One has reportedly died in Ondo.

This is despite efforts by the federal government through NCDC to rid the country of Lassa fever, monkey pox and yellow fever.

According to the latest figures from the NCDC, in the reporting Week 46 (November 12 to18, 2018), from January 1 to November 18, 2018, a total of 3,086 suspected cases have been reported from 22 states. Of these, 562 were confirmed positive, 17 probable, and 2,507 negative.

The NCDC noted that 22 states recorded at least one confirmed case across 90 councils of Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Imo, Plateau, Lagos, Taraba, Delta, Osun, Rivers, Abuja, Gombe, Ekiti, Kaduna, Abia, Adamawa and Enugu, while Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi states were in active phase of the outbreak.

However, since the outbreak, no new healthcare worker has been affected, but 43 were affected in Ebonyi (16), Edo (15), Ondo (seven), Kogi (two), Nasarawa (one), Taraba (one) and Abia (one), with five deaths in Ebonyi, one each in Kogi, Abia and Edo and two in Ondo.

NCDC noted that 46 per cent of confirmed cases are from Edo, 24 per cent from Ondo and 13 per cent from Ebonyi.

The Guardian gathered that a patient was being managed at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) treatment centre and two at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo.

A total of 9,045 contacts have been identified from 22 states, the centre noted, adding that of these 370 (4.1 per cent) are being followed up, 8,545 (94 per cent) have completed 21 days follow-up, while 15 (0.2 per cent) were lost to follow up.