Lassa Fever Kills Three In Lagos, As Garri Market Soars Despite Threat

The Lagos state government has confirmed 3 of the 14 suspected cases of Lassa fever and one death as it is currently monitoring 438 people who have had contacts with the confirmed cases, The Guardian reports.

In a joint statement signed by Dr. Jide Idris, the commissioner for health and Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, the special adviser on Primary Health Care (PHC), the state government has reactivated isolation wards in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and 26 general hospitals in the state for isolation of any suspected case.

The statement read: “Three of the suspected cases were confirmed positive of Lassa fever. One case was confirmed on the January 15, 2016 and two cases were confirmed on January 18, 2016. Eight suspected cases tested negative, while we are awaiting results for the remaining three suspected cases. The ministry has listed 447 contacts of the confirmed cases and 438 (98 per cent) of the contacts are currently being monitored.”

The statement further read that the three confirmed cases are not related in terms of source of infections.

READ ALSO: Nurses, Patients Run As Lassa Fever Claims 2 People

However, the Lagos State Ministry of Health (LSMoH) has said that those at highest risk include health workers, families and friends of an infected person in the course of feeding, holding and caring for them.

Meanwhile, Business Day reports that Nigeria’s  N500 billion garri industry is proving unshaken in the face of the outbreak of Lassa fever which has claimed the lives of 18 Nigerians, including a medical doctor.

According to the people in the industry this laziness may indicate that government  is not doing enough to sensitise the populace on the dangers.

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