The Benue State Government has reported one fatality due to Lassa fever and two isolated cases of the virus in the state.
The victim died of Lassa fever complications before his test results could be received from the laboratory where they were sent for analysis.
State Epidemiologist Dr Asema Msuega made this revelation to journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday.
He said seven suspected patients had their blood samples taken for testing in the laboratory, and three were confirmed to have Lassa fever.
He elaborated: “Of the three confirmed cases of Lassa fever, one of them died even before the result was released, and two are on admission for treatment at the Isolation Centre at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Makurdi.”
Msuega explained the contact tracing had begun for relatives of the three confirmed cases and that four of their close contacts had already begun to develop symptoms of Lassa virus.
He warned residents not to let rodents into homes or get food exposed to them, stating cooked and raw foods should be well covered.
Msuega also urged people to sleep in ventilated spaces in order to help prevent the spread of contagious diseases, such as Lassa fever, particularly during warm weather.
