AEPB Tasks Residents On Clean Environment

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has said that there was no report of laser fever in the territory.

Mrs Aishatu Adebayo, the AEPB’s Deputy Director, Environmental Health and Safety, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference.

She said the recent spread of laser fever in the country had made the AEPB to advise residents on the need to have a clean environment in order to avoid the outbreak of the disease.

Adebayo said that AEPB had collaborated with the six area councils and the department of Environmental Sanitation to ensure clean and safe environment.

“They can stand on their own. We have collaborated together. AEPB cannot be everywhere as the area councils have their statutory functions to ensure clean environment within their councils.”

Dr Akuchie Emmanuel, an Assistant Director, Environmental Health and Safety, said the disease was more intense in the dry season.

According to him, 500,000 persons suffer from laser fever every year across the country, and out of this number, 5,000 persons have died.

Emmanuel said the rate at which the disease killed was one to 15 per cent of people with the virus.

“Death occurs within 14 days of contact in some cases, as 80 percent of the victims show no symptoms.”

Emmanuel warned that all age groups and sexes were at risk of contacting the virus, adding that care should be taken as the disease could be got through direct contact with rats or rat droppings and urine.