Awka—A medical doctor and three other persons have reportedly died of Lassa fever in Anambra State. A resource person at a workshop in Awka yesterday, Dr. Jane Ezeonu, claimed the medical doctor, who died at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, NAUTH, three days ago, was referred to the hospital from Asaba, Delta State.
Apart from the medical doctor, the Director of Public Health in the state, Dr. Emmanuel Okafor, said three other deaths, resulting from Lassa fever, had also been recorded in the state. To avoid an outbreak of the disease, Ezeonu warned people to stop drinking raw gari, advising them to protect their food and other related items from rats.
According to her, people do not get immunity after suffering from Lassa fever as erroneously believed in some quarters, explaining that emphasis on general hygiene was important in Lassa fever prevention. Also speaking, Dr. Okafor said the workshop in Awka was to train professionals, who would go to the grassroots to educate the people on ways of preventing the disease.
He said: “We don’t know the number of cases of Lassa fever disease yet, but we have four confirmed deaths.” While calling on health workers in the state to maintain high standard in handling Lassa fever cases, Okafor said the state government had put proactive measures to handle the situation.
Though the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Okwuchukwu Chukwuka, said there was no epidemic of the disease in the state, he explained that the workshop was to serve as a proactive measure. The workshop was attended by health professionals in the 21 local government areas of the state, who were expected to sensitise and disseminate information about Lassa fever to the people at the grassroots level.
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