No fewer than four cases of Lassa fever have been confirmed in Delta state.
According to the Nation, Delta state commissioner of health, Joseph confirmed this in Asaba, on Friday, March 22, listed the affected local government areas including Okpe, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, and Ndokwa East Council areas.
He urged residents to keep their environment clean always and ensure that rats do not breed in or around their homes.
According to him, Emergency Operation Centers have been set up across the state to monitor the situation and ensure residents are aware of what is going on.
“In week 12, we have four confirmed cases so far recorded with a fatality rate of 50% though the general fatality rate for Lassa fever is 1 – 15% so we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure that we curtail the transmission from patient to health workers and from patients to relatives,” the commissioner disclosed.
He said the government is doing a lot of advocacy, especially to health workers, and sensitisation of residents to have a high index of suspicion when they see those cases.
He said that the State government is working closely with Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo State, and has been able to achieve less than 24 hours of getting test results on Lassa fever as against what was commonly obtainable which was within the range of 72 hours.
