NCDC Confirms Lassa Fever Outbreak In Kaduna Army Hospital

Three employees of the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna lost their life to an outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever, often known as Lassa fever, Naija News reports.

Confirming the latest outbreak, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) Jide Idris, while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, detailed that NCDC is closely monitoring the situation and working in collaboration with state health authorities to contain the spread of the disease.

He said, “The NCDC was notified yesterday (Thursday) by the Kaduna State Ministry of Health of the report of deaths from suspected viral hemorrhagic fever at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna.

“Following this notification, the centre has been working with both institutions to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the suspected cases, as well as ramp up response activities.

“Four of the six blood samples from suspected cases sent to the Bayero University Teaching Hospital in Kano have been confirmed for Lassa fever. Furthermore, 25 close contacts of all these cases are now under follow-up and placed on prophylactic medicine.

“The state’s Ministry of Health has also activated the Incident Management System with all the response pillars including intensified risk communication and community engagement for the prevention and control of Lassa fever in the affected communities.”