Lassa fever kills 70 in Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Thursday there were 472 confirmed cases of Lassa fever in the country.

The Assistant Director of Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Department of the NCDC, Dr. Kola Jinaidu, who disclosed this at a one – day sensitization seminar on Coronavirus and Lassa fever organized by Great Helping Hands Foundation in Kaduna, said 70 deaths have been recorded across 92 local government areas in 26 states across the country.

According to him, 14 health workers were affected following the outbreak of the disease in the country between January and February 9.

He said Lassa fever symptoms were more difficult to identify particularly in non-epidemic period, adding, however, that some of the symptoms include fatigue, general weakness, fever, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, face swelling and low blood pressure among others.

The disease, Jinadu said could be transmitted through direct contact with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats, contact with objects, household items and surfaces or eating food contaminated with urine, fasces, saliva or blood of infected rats.

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The medical practitioner added that person to person transmission by contact with blood, urine, faeces, vomits and other body fluids of an infected person could occur.

“Early treatment and diagnosis increase the chances of survival,” he concluded.

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