Lassa Fever Confirmed In Gombe, Plateau, Bauchi & Rivers

Five confirmed cases of Lassa fever has been reported from four states of Nigeria within the end of August and early September, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, said. The agency said two cases were reported in Plateau State, one each in Rivers, Bauchi and Gombe States.

“The case reported from Gombe died on 22nd August 2016, all other cases are alive,” NCDC said in a statement yesterday.

It went on to say, “Resources were immediately mobilised from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and its partner, the Nigerian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NFELTP), to support the investigation and management of cases in the affected states,” the statement said.

The body is also urging all States to report cases immediately for Lassa fever while improving on the timeliness of their reporting generally. It is well.

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Lassa Fever: Kill Rats And Make Money In Lagos

In a bid to avert incidents of Lassa fever and other vector-borne diseases in Lagos State, a non-governmental organisation, Phosguard Fumigant Limited, in partnership with the state government, has introduced a bounty, ‘Kill rats, make money.’

Under the project, rodents in the state will be bought by the NGO after they had been killed using hi-tech chemicals and equipment that would make their decomposing bodies non-infectious, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Oluwasegun Benson, on Sunday, said the bounty would help to get rid of rats in the state.

“We will buy at least 20 rats for a yet-to-be determined amount. In Lagos now, it is operation kill rats and make money.

“A rat has 28 days gestation period and in the past years, there has not been any solid structure on ground to curb them from infecting humans with diseases.

“We are already approaching an epidemic with Lassa fever and we must be proactive and find a more coordinated approach to control them. It is war against rodents and pests in Lagos State,’’ he said.

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