A medical doctor has reportedly died of Lassa fever while two others are currently being hospitalized in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The deceased medical doctor, Samuel Nyityo, who was a staff of the World Health Organization, (WHO) in Benue state was said to have taken ill and was referred to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo state where he later died.
According to a hospital staff who pleaded anonymity told newsmen in a telephone message on Monday that three persons have lost their lives to the disease.
“Lassa fever is in Benue now. We lost a colleague, Samuel Tagher Nyityo.
“I lost two patients last week. One ate rat and took ill. I’m currently taking prophylaxis (ribavirin) and isolating because I nursed two out of the three people who died,” the hospital source said.
When contacted Commissioner for Health and Human Services in Benue State, Joseph Ngbea confirmed that there was lassa fever in the state but debunked claims that three persons had died from the disease.
Ngbea said only one person has died and another who was infected is being treated and in a stable condition in the hospital.
While noting that the state government is doing its best to contain the disease, the Commissioner explained that before the diagnosis of the lassa fever, the state Governor, Samuel Ortom, through the ministry has released money to ensure that it was contained.
Ngbea who also confirmed that the late Nyityo worked for WHO said Governor Ortom had gone to take over the payment but they said no that the organization released the purchase of drugs worth N600,000 to be given to anybody who contacts the disease.
The Commissioner who advised the people to stop eating rat disclosed that the WHO has urged that the public to ensure that anybody who contacts the disease be taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital BSUTH within 20 minutes.
Ngbea further warned the general public to desist from keeping their food stuffs outside in the open and to do away with everything that would attract rats to their homes.
He said the Ministry would organize a workshop on lassa fever in the state to create more awareness on why people should not keep anything that would encourage rats into their homes.
(Editor, Omor Bazuaye)
