Lassa fever: Two die in Bauchi State

From Ruth David Bauchi

Two persons in Wandi and Bundot wards of Dass local government area of Bauchi state have been confirmed dead from the dreaded Lassa fever.

The Director, Primary Health Care (PHC) Dass local government area, Suleiman Abdul Kirfi revealed this to members of Journalists Against Polio (JAP)and other Diseases, when they paid him a courtesy call in his office in Dass Local government secretariat.

He stated that there was an outbreak of the disease in Wandi ward that claimed the life of Sani Haruna in December 2015 and the recent case of the Lassa fever on January 8th, 2016 in Bundot ward that led to the death of one Amina Maida both victims from Dass local government area.

Kifi added that the victims’ test results at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi confirmed that they died of Lassa fever.

According to him, they as a department, have carried out enlightenment campaigns on the disease and also distributed pamphlets to people in the area.

He added that the department organized seminars for their health personnel in the local government area on how to handle patients with Lassa fever symptoms in their various health centers.

“We have, in collaboration with stakeholders and environmental health workers, commenced sanitation inspection from time to time especially in those areas where the cases of Lassa fever were recorded.
“We have cautioned our health workers that any fever case that defies treatment after a week, should be referred immediately to ATBUTH Bauchi.”

In her address, the leader of the delegation, Elizabeth Carr said, they were in the area with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to sensitize the people of the area on Lassa fever and the need for hygiene and sanitation.

It could be recalled that three weeks ago, the Bauchi state Government debunked the report released by the Federal Government that Bauchi state is one of the states with cases of Lassa fever outbreak.