A new case of Lassa fever has been recorded in Asaba, the state’s capital.
The Commissioner of Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge, made this known on Monday, August 22, 2016, confirming the death of a medical doctor who resides and owns a hospital in Asaba.
He said that the doctor died about three hours after admission at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, after a blood sample earlier gotten was confirmed to be positive.
According to reports, the wife of the doctor is said to have tested negative and thirty two others who had contact with the doctor have been quarantined.
Meanwhile the hospitals the deceased doctor visited have been disinfected.
Lassa fever, an infectious disease with symptoms like muscle pain, bleeding, headaches etc, has been on the rampage in Nigeria for quite some time. The causative virus from the family Arenavidae is transferred from rodents to human beings. As much as there is no cause for alarm, it is important for us to remind ourselves of basic prevention methods which include but in not limited to:
- Avoid any form of contact with rats
- Endeavour to store your food beyond the reach rodents especially rats
- Ensure you report even the least suspected suspected case to your nearest health center
- Family members and health workers should take the highest precaution when handling an infected person
- Keep a clean environment; observe proper personal hygiene
