Five persons have been confirmed dead in Benue State following an outbreak of Lassa fever.
National Center for Disease Control, which confirmed the death, noted that 21 suspected cases of Lassa fever were received from the state out of which eight cases were confirmed while five infected persons have also died.
Programs Officer, Risk Communications Desk of the National Center for Disease Control, Hanatu Bello, disclosed this in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Bello said since the year began, there have been 21 suspected cases of Lassa fever in Benue State. Eight cases were confirmed after laboratory tests and five deaths have so far been recorded.
She said the Center received the information late because most of the patients, who were presented with the symptoms, got to the hospital rather late, Bello said as soon as the information was received, the rapid response unit of the Center swung into action.
She equally noted that the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), is the only medical facility that is attending to Lassa fever patients and urged the general public to be proactive by observing personal and environmental hygiene especially hand washing.
Bello, who stated that the Emergency Operation Center had already been activated in the state, said the Center was in Benue to respond to the Lassa fever outbreak as well as a strange illness in Okpokwu Local Government Area.
