Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeWorld NewsLassa Fever Nigerian Centre for Disease Control confirms 90 dead

Lassa Fever Nigerian Centre for Disease Control confirms 90 dead

Lassa Fever Nigerian Centre for Disease Control confirms 90 dead

According to the report which was released on Friday, March 2, 2018, 1081 suspected cases were also recorded.

The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed that 90 people died of Lassa Fever in Nigeria from January 1 to February 25, 2018.

According to the report which was released on Friday, March 2, 2018, 1081 suspected cases were also recorded.

The deaths recorded in this latest report, shows a rise from that of week seven which put the deaths at 54.

The report also revealed that 14 health workers were also affected in the following states: Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, Ondo, and Edo.

SaharaReporters also revealed that the minister of health, Isaac Adewole, blamed the states for tackling the Lassa Fever issue in an unserious way.

Origin of Lassa Fever

Lassa Fever, also known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever was first discovered in 1969, in the town of Lassa in Borno state.

Scientists believe it is caused by the Lassa virus which is inherent in the Natal multimammate rat from the Sub-Saharan Africa- a region in the Southern part of Sahara Desert.

It is also believed that the rat’s urine infects foodstuff in stores, hence the reason for its fast spread.

How humans contact the disease.

Reports say humans are exposed to the disease, when they come in contact with the faeces or urine of the multimammate rat.

ALSO READ:

It can also be transferred among humans, through contacting broken skin or mucous membranes.

Symptoms

Though the symptoms are said to be difficult to differentiate from viral hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola and Marburg, the common symptoms of the disease include: Fever, Facial swelling, Muscle fatigue, Nausea, Vomiting (bloody), Diarrhea (bloody), Stomach ache, Constipation, Cough.

Prevention

Though it is difficult to keep eradicate rodents, conscious efforts should be made to keep rats away from the house.

It is advised that protective gears should be worn by medical personnel who look after infected victims.

More Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
Captcha verification failed!
CAPTCHA user score failed. Please contact us!

5 Days Trending

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.