Lassa Fever Kills 10, Infects 28 in Plateau

Popular and deadly disease caused by rodents, Lassa fever has killed 10 persons and infected 28 others in Plateau state Nigeria.

Naija News reports that the Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr Kunden Deyin, while confirming the cases of the fever, said that 64 cases were taken to the laboratory for confirmation out of which 28 were confirmed to be Lassa fever. says the state has recorded 28 new cases of Lassa fever with 10 deaths.

Deyin made this known on Thursday, February 21, where he confirmed that the cases were imported from Kaduna state, adding that some patients of the fever are already responding to treatment.

“Lassa fever presents like any other fever, with symptoms such as headache, body pain and general feeling of being unwell.

“Therefore, anyone who is feeling feverish should visit the hospital immediately.

“Prompt presentation is the key to reducing the mortality rate associated with the disease, but most times, patients do come to the hospitals late.

“However, all health workers should make referrals to other health facilities such as the tertiary health facilities, when you cannot handle such cases like Lassa fever that require prompt medical attention,” he said.

Deyin also advised that people should learn to keep their environment clean and ensure that it is not rodent-friendly, so as to avoid further reoccurrence of the fever, and equally advised the residents to store all grains in rodent-proof containers.