Lassa Kills Doctor, Nurse In Kaduna, One In Ebonyi

Source: thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, February 29, (THEWILL) – The Kaduna state government has confirmed the death of three people following an outbreak of Lassa fever while the Ebonyi state government announced the second death from Lassa fever in the state.

The Kaduna state Commissioner for health, Jonathan Andrew Nok, confirmed the incident to journalists on Monday revealing that it occurred at Saint Louis Specialist Hospital Zonkwa, Zango Kataf Local government area of the state.

The three people confirmed dead are a doctor, nurse and a pregnant woman who was believed to have infected the health workers.

The commissioner revealed that the doctor and nurse developed symptoms of Lassa fever shortly after operating on the pregnant woman who was brought in from another hospital in Kafanchan, and died few days after they tested positive to the disease.

The commissioner added that the affected hospitals have been put under isolation with a view to tracing the primary and secondary contacts with the deceased and urged residents of the state not to panic but to maintain personal hygiene around their homes as a panacea towards curbing the menace.

In related development, the Commissioner for Health, Ebonyi state, Dr Daniel Umezurike, also confirmed that the disease claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy in the state.

“The incident is unfortunate. The deceased was a pupil of one of the primary schools in Igbeagu, Izzi Local Government Area,” he said.

“The bereaved parents are based in Abuja but the report we have did not indicate that he travelled to meet his parents recently.

“He, however, responded to treatment in the hospital which made the authorities to discharge him, but he unfortunately died the day he was discharged.

“The hospital certified him fit after treatment but before he was discharged, we had already taken his test sample to the relevant quarters where the result read positive.

“We have also intensified our enlightenment campaign among the citizens on ways to prevent the disease and immediate report of suspected cases to relevant authorities,” he said.

The first casualty of the disease in the state was a student of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, who died in January.

Story by David Oputah