At least four of the six blood samples from suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fever detected at the Nigerian Army Referral Hospital in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria have been confirmed to be Lassa fever. Meanwhile, 25 close contacts of all the infected persons are now under follow up and placed on prophylactic medicine.
Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC Jide Idris, who confirmed this during a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, noted that the Kaduna State Ministry of Health has also activated its Incident Management System with all the response pillars.
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He further explained that as of February 18, 2024, 84 local government areas in 23 states of the country have reported 2,621 suspected cases, while 476 infections have been confirmed, with a total of 84 deaths amounting to 18.6% fatality rate.
NCDC therefore appealed to Nigerians to take precautions against the outbreak of Lassa fever in the country and ensure they prevent rodents from having access to their food while maintaining good personal hygiene.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
