Lassa Fever: Rivers Puts 400 Persons Under Surveillance

The Rivers State Gov
ernment has said that it has over 400 persons suspected to have contracted the Lassa fever disease under surveillance.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Theophilus Odagme, who made the disclosure while fielding questions from journalists at the Braithewaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH), Port Harcourt, Monday, said the latest figure was an increase of 150 over the previous 250 persons since the outbreak of the disease in the state which had claimed three lives including that of a medical doctor in the state-owned hospital.
Odagme said “we have over 400 persons that are being followed following the death of the medical doctor and a lot of activities have been heightened to reach out to the people of the state and curtail the spread of the disease.
While noting that the ministry of health in collaboration with ministry of environment had unveiled a ‘War Against Rats’  in the state, Odage expressed hope that all hands would be on deck to ensuring that the lassa fever virus carrier, rat, is no more among the people for a victory over the disease in the state.
The commissioner maintained that there had not been any reported case of new contact, suspect or confirmed case of the disease since after the earlier confirmation. revealing that three persons who were earlier quarantined in one of the surveillance centres had been moved after having tested negative of the lassa fever virus.
He further called on individuals, health personnels, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and stakeholders to partner with the state government in all its efforts to keep the state free of the disease.

Lady Godknows Ogbulu