WHO Confirms Cases Of Lassa Fever In Taraba State

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed twelve cases of Lassa fever in six out of the sixteen local government areas of Taraba state.

According to WHO representatives operating in the State, disclosed that patients of the confirmed cases who emanated from Ardo-Kola, Bali, Gashak, Gassol Ibi and Jalingo local government councils are presently receiving medical attention at the various isolated centers located at both the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Jalingo and the state specialist hospital.

This was revealed on Monday at a one day sensitization workshop organized by the State Ministry of Health for health workers, has it that while three of the confirmed cases have been positive, three have as well been confirmed dead.

Dr. Zeto Philip of the WHO made this known on behalf of the state coordinator of the organization, Alhaji Umar Farouk, said over 297 suspected cases of the epidemic have been unraveled in the country with twenty-two death said to have been recorded in thirteen states.

Philip said that the death mortality rate occasioned by Lassa fever has risen to 25 per cent even as he beckoned at the various state governments to rise up to the challenges. “It is expected that the way the government at the center is working, the states should as well take cue.”

According to the WHO, Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever illness that is known to be endemic in various West African countries including Nigeria. “As of June 9, 2017, a total of 501 suspected cases including 104 deaths was reported since the onset of the Lassa fever outbreaks season in December 2016.

“… During the 2016 and 2017 Lassa fever outbreak, 17 Nigerian states (Anambra, Bauchi, Borno, Cross-River, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, and Taraba) have reported at least one confirmed case. As of June 9, 2017, the outbreak is still active in nine states (Anambra, Bauchi, Cross-River, Edo, Taraba, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau, and Kano).”