The commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, confirmed the death of a 27 -year-old lady who died of Lassa fever at the Ijede General Hospital in Lagos. According to him, deceased may have contacted the disease after she travelled to Edo State in December for the Christmas holiday and came back in January.
Idris also said that the health ministry had begun tracing 90 persons that might have had contact with the victim. “The remains of the patient have been kept in the morgue in a sealed body bag. She is to be buried after due consultation with her family,” he said.
He further revealed, “So far, Lagos State has recorded 20 suspected cases of Lassa fever since the outbreak of the disease. As of now 14 suspected cases tested negative, while four cases were confirmed positive. The results of two suspected cases are pending. The ministry has listed 537 contacts of the confirmed cases and 534 of the contacts are currently being monitored.”
Mallam Danladi Yero said that the people of Ungwan Yero Community in Badarawa/Malali ward, Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Wednesday declared war against rats, rodents and other carriers of the dreaded Lassa fever. He noted that his area was known to be notorious for rats, adding that they are ubiquitous in the area and must not be tolerated any longer.
“With the recent outbreak of the Lassa fever, the community came together with the decision to kill as many rats that are visible within their community,” he said.
