Lassa Fever: Kogi Records Six Cases, No Death

The Director of Disease Control in Kogi State Ministry of Health, Dr Austin Ojotule, has revealed that the state has recorded six cases of Lassa fever.

He made the disclosure in Lokoja on Friday, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“As it is now, we are battling with six cases of Lassa fever in the state, but the situation is under control.

“The good thing about it is that we have not recorded any death and we are treating the affected persons and preventing the further spread of the disease.

“When there is an outbreak, samples are taken by Disease Surveillance Officers in the local government areas and sent to the ministry for analyses to enable us to effectively and efficiently control the disease,’’ he explained.

He said each of the 21 local government areas of the state has primary healthcare facilities and enough personnel to handle cases of heat-related illnesses.

"There are also tertiary health institutions in Lokoja and in Anyigba, and zonal hospitals in each of the three senatorial districts of the state that could conveniently treat diseases," he added.

He further said that the government had put machinery in place to deal with the outbreak of heat-related diseases such as meningitis, cholera, measles, diphtheria and Lassa fever among others.

“Besides Lassa fever, there is no other disease outbreak.

"For now Kogi has no case of diphtheria, cholera, meningitis and measles, which are heat-related diseases,’’ he said.

He added that the ministry is on a vigorous sensitisation of the public on the need to watch out and to be conscious of their environment and to report any signs or symptoms of diseases to the nearest hospital.