Fresh new cases have been cited and reported in five different states in NIgeria. So says the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The centre stated this recently.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed this in Abuja on Saturday ,while he was giving an update about the disease and efforts being made by the centre.
He said that the 16 new cases have now brought the number of confirmed cases to 526 out of the 2,034 suspected cases since Jan. 1 in 21 states.
He also said that a total of 121 deaths had been recorded since the onset of the outbreak.
Ihekweazu said Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, w Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, FCT, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo, Kebbi and Cross River states have each recorded at least one confirmed case.
He also confirmed that one health care worker was affected in Plateau state, bringing it to a total of 17 healthcare workers in seven states since the outbreak of the disease.
The NCDC boss also said that 29 patients have been hospitalized at the designated centres.
He said that 10 were hospitalized in Irrua, 9 in Owo, three in Abakiliki, two in Bauchi, three in Plateau, two in Taraba.
Ihekweazu said a total of 6,489 people suspected to have contacts with those infected had been identified across 20 states.
He said that 1,443 of the suspected contacts were being followed up, while 4,983 had completed the mandatory 21 days of follow up to and have been declared symptom free.
He also said that 112 symptomatic contacts have been identified, of which 55 tested positive.
The NCDC boss assured that the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre will continue to coordinate the response activities at all levels.
The Lasaa fever continues to bounce back periodically across thefederation despite huge measures taken to permanently curtail it.
As Lasaa Fever Claims No Less Than 15 Lives In Ondo State…
No fewer than 102 people have been confirmed to be positive with Lassa fever with addition of 15 people who died in Ondo State between January and February this year.
The state Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Wale Oke disclosed this while speaking with reporters in Akure, the state capital.
According to him, “As at Thursday February 21, 102 people have been positive to Lassa fever this year. 82 people in January and 20 people so far in Febuary apart from 15 people dead in January as a result of the fever but no death has been recorded so far in February.
“Most people that died either reported late or were already subjected to alternative treatment and doing self-medication before they eventually came to hospital.Their kidneys and livers had been affected as a result of the delay.
Oke, who also works at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owo, urged residents of the state to report early to the medical centre if they experienced upsurge of temperature in their bodies.
He said “We have contact tracing mechanism whereby we can place on surveillance for 21 days those that may have contact with infected person. We continue to monitor their temperature if it is above 37.8 and ask them quick treatment.
According to him, the centre has the highest success rate out of the three treatment centers in Nigeria for Lassa fever cases treatment, giving kudos to its management team.
He added that the state government had put in place measures to curtail the fever and that the government had declared state of emergency on health sector.
Oke explained that Ondo NMA alongside Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and others had engaged in series of sensitization exercises for the people of the state.
He said the exercise was aimed at preventing further cases in the state, saying “NMA is concerned with the infection, prevention and control out of the so many pillars involved in the management of Lassa fever hence the basis for the sensitization.”
He however disclosed that Owo, Ose, Akoko North, Akure South and Akure North are the local government areas of the state with the recorded cases.