NCDC Urges Action To Prevent Spread Of Lassa Fever After 188 Deaths
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has urged Nigerians to wash their hands regularly to prevent spread of Lassa fever, stressing that Lassa fever was also a highly infectious disease.
NCDC has reported 963 cases of Lassa fever as of April 5.
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Out of this number, 188 patients have died since January this year.
The disease is known to be endemic in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo and Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization.
NCDC tweeted about this on Wednesday, adding that the country was also responding to the Lassa fever outbreak.
“Handwashing is one of the key ways to prevent the spread of #Lassafever & other infectious diseases,” NCDC tweeted.
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NCDC added that Nigerians should protect themselves and others, by washing their hands regularly with soap under running water.
According to the WHO, humans usually become infected with the Lassa virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected rats.
