16 New Cases Of Lassa fever In Edo, Ondo, Bauchi States And Others

NCDC Raise Alert On Fresh Lassa Fever Cases

About 16 new cases of Lassa fever have been discovered in five states in Nigeria, the Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has confirmed

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed this in Abuja today while giving an update about the disease and efforts by the centre to check it.

He said the 16 new cases have now brought the number of confirmed cases to 526 out of the 2,034 suspected cases since January 1 in 21 states.

He confirmed that a total of 121 deaths had been recorded since the onset of the outbreak.

Naija News reports that the disease, last month saw the death of Six persons in the country,one each in Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Taraba and Cross River States

Mr Ihekweazu said Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, FCT, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo, Kebbi and Cross River states have each recorded at least one confirmed case.

He also noted that one healthcare worker was affected in Plateau bringing it to a total of 17 healthcare workers in seven states since the outbreak of the disease.

The NCDC boss also said that 29 patients have been hospitalized at the designated centres; 10 were hospitalized in Irrua, 9 in Owo, three in Abakiliki, two in Bauchi, three in Plateau and two in Taraba respectively.

Mr Ihekweazu also disclosed that 6,489 people suspected to have contacts with those infected had been identified across 20 states, adding that  1,443 of the suspected contacts were being followed up, while 4,983 had completed the mandatory 21 days of follow up to and have been declared symptom free.

Out of the 112 symptomatic contacts identified, of which 55 tested positive, he said.

The NCDC boss however assured that the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre will continue to coordinate the response activities at all levels.