1 died, 1 hospitalised from Lassa Fever in Benue, says Commissioner

Dr Joseph Ngbea, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services in Benue, has confirmed two cases of Lassa Fever in the state.

Ngbea disclosed this in a telephone interview with newsmen on Monday in Makurdi.

The commissioner said that one of the victims died in Edo because he was referred to Irrewa Specialist Hospital for treatment, stressing that the other one was not in a critical condition.

“Anybody who contacts the disease should be taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) within 20 minutes.

“So people should stop the idea of keeping food outside and on the ground, also people should be discouraged from eating rats.

“People should also keep away anything that would encourage rats to enter their homes.

“Those are the preventive measures. Apart from that, people should also see their doctors if they have fever,” Ngbea said.

He promised that the ministry would organise 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.