Nasarawa govt confirms outbreak of Lassa fever, other tropical diseases

Nasarawa State government has confirmed the outbreak of the fast spreading Lassa fever which has claimed a number of lives across the country, and other tropical diseases in the state.

This was revealed on Friday by the State Commissioner for Health, Pharmacist Ahmed Baba Yahaya, who informed that the state was doing everything within its power to curb the outbreak of the diseases.

According to Yahaya, apart from Lassa fever, five other tropical diseases like; Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, Trachoma and soil transmitted helminthes, affecting13 local government areas of the state had been reported.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about Lassa Fever

He further disclosed that the state is also hit by Dengue fever, Buruli ulcer, yaws, Leishmaniasis, human and animal Trypanosomiasis, rabies, leprosy, snake bites, guinea worm and mycetoma, the mapping of which is yet to be carried out.

The commissioner who said those infected with Lassa fever in the state had been quarantined said that the state had received 502,700 tablets of mebendazoles and 194,984 tablets of praziquantel drugs from the Federal Ministry of Health to fight the outbreak.

Yahaya also added that; “In order to stem these diseases, the state government with the support of the Carter Center, had trained 45 local integrated health team members, 611 community directed distributors, 2,153 teachers, 42 school supervisors and seven social mobilisation officers.

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