Lassa Fever: 8 persons killed, 40 cases recorded in Plateau

Dr Kuden Kamshak, the Plateau health commissioner, has confirmed eight persons killed by Lassa Fever, with 40 cases recorded across the state so far.

Kamshak made the disclosure on Thursday, during the Agenda for Social Behavioural Communication Committee (SBCC), Review Meeting, held in Jos.

He described the situation as “worrisome”, and declared that government was working round the clock to to curb the spread of the disease.

The commissioner, who was represented by Mr Michael Pam, Director of the ministry’s Public Health Department, said that health officers had been deployed o various areas to curtail the situation so as to save lives.

He warned members of the public against the danger of rodents, and cautioned against “indiscriminate handshakes”.

Earlier, Hajia January Bello, Risk Communicator, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), had said that Lassa Fever was as deadly as Ebola.

“Lassa Fever is as deadly as Ebola. It is very devastating,” he said.

She advised members of the public to inculcate the habit of personal and environmental hygiene to ward off contact with the disease.

The risk communicator said that there were only four Lassa laboratory centres in Nigeria, while only two hospitals – Bingham University Teaching Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) – treat the disease.

According to her, the laboratory centres are located in Edo, Lagos and Kaduna States, and the FCT Abuja.