Lassa Fever: Anambra Sets Up Treatment Centres, Urges Residents To Be Wary Of Rats

The Anambra state government says it has put measures in place to prevent any outbreak of Lassa fever outbreak in the State, and urged residents to maintain cleanliness in view of the intrusion of rats at home.

The disclosure was made in a statement signed by Don Adinuba, the State’s commissioner for information & Public Enlightenment on Tuesday.

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The disease spreads through contact with the urine or feces of an infected multimammate mouse (or rat) and can also be transmitted through direct contact between people.

But the state government said it has fully equipped two hospitals in the state to address any case of the infection, adding that people should report such cases to the hospital as well-trained medical practitioners would be on ground.

“In view of the above, the state government has set up two special centres at the Onitsha General Hospital and at the General Hospital at Umueri in Anambra East Local Government Area to manage any cases of lassa fever that may be reported in the state,” the statement said.

Furthermore, the government urged the people to take preventive measures in the following ways:

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“Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap; use sanitiser to clean your hands from time to time; always cover you foods very well so that rats, which transmit the disease to human beings through urine and faeces, will not touch the foods; cook your food very well so that where it is touched by rat’s urine or excreta, it will not be dangerous to human health; stop spreading your foodstuffs like grain and cassava pellets on the road where rats can easily assess them; stop bush burning which drives rats from bushes to homes; stop self-medication because lassa fever may be confused with common illnesses like malaria with which they share symptoms like high temperature and nausea.”

THE WHISTLER reported that a student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (UNIZIK) was diagnosed with Lassa fever at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital but was later moved to the Virology Centre, Abakiliki by the state response team of the ministry of health, for treatment.

The government also said that the health authorities quickly got in touch with about 50 persons the patient had come in contact with in the preceding three weeks in both her hometown and her university; adding that all the contacts are being examined and watched closely by experts.

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