Lassa Fever Claims Nine Lives in Benue State
In the last two months, at least nine individuals have succumbed to Lassa fever in Benue State, as revealed by Dr. Sam Ngishe, the State Epidemiologist, in a phone conversation with journalists on Thursday.
This follows the recent announcement by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, stating that there have been 2,621 suspected cases of Lassa fever with 84 recorded deaths, resulting in a case fatality rate of 18.6 percent.
Ngishe reported that a total of 46 people, including health workers and internally displaced persons, have been affected by this alarming disease throughout the state.
He highlighted that among the Internally Displaced Persons at Ortese IDP camp in Guma LGA of the state, four cases of Lassa fever were identified. Dr. Ngishe further mentioned that the disease has now reached seven out of the 23 local government areas in the state. The affected council areas include Obi, Okpokwu, Gwer West, Makurdi, Guma, Gwer East, and Ukum.
Providing details, he stated, "Confirmed cases have resulted in nine deaths, and in adherence to safe burial protocols, they have been laid to rest in their respective areas across the state.
The epidemiologist, acknowledging the elevated fatality rate in the state, emphasized that efforts are underway to mitigate and bring down the fatality rate.
He stated, "Our aim is to decrease the number of deaths so that the primary fatality rate for the state is below 10 percent, aligning with the national expectation for all states. Currently, our figures surpass that threshold.
"In our efforts to address this, the state Epidemiologist mentioned ongoing initiatives such as sustained response facilitated by the Federal Government in collaboration with the World Bank and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control.
"We have also intensified our surveillance, emphasized risk communication to induce social behavior change in the community, and underscored the importance of the laboratory component in our response and coordination efforts."
Active surveillance is currently underway in the community, particularly in the Ortese IDP camp. Given that the IDP camp represents a cluster setting characterized by inadequate infection control, including poor sanitation, a crowded environment, and malnutrition challenges, there is a heightened need for vigilance.
The state Epidemiologist emphasized, "Based on our findings, the IDP camp hosts a significant rat population. Consequently, if these rats are acting as transmitters, and considering the conditions within the IDP camps, it is imperative that we exert considerable effort to prevent the occurrence of an outbreak that would be challenging to manage."
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