Lassa Fever: From Bayelsa To Rivers…Nursing Mother, Baby Die

If you can recall, about two weeks now, the Taraba government confirmed the outbreak of the killer than malaria parasite disease LASSA Fevercalled Lassa Fever which took a live with about four quarantined. As you are reading this, the dreaded Lassa fever disease has spread to Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A nursing mother and her two-week-old baby have been confirmed died of the disease.

Commissioner of Health, Dr. Theophilus Odagme, confirmed the development to newsmen on Monday evening. He stated, “First incident happened between December 30, 2015, and January 1, to a mother and later to her two weeks old child.


“Yesterday, at about 10:00 pm, I received a call that a mother and child died in a hospital following similar and serious fever which killed them and was suspected to be Lassa fever. After series of test conducted on them, it was confirmed they died of the disease.”

Dr. Odagme said government had started work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prevent outbreak of the disease in the state.

He added that contact tracing had begun and sensitisation of health care providers was ongoing to address the disease.

He called on the residents to avoid contact with rats especially in the areas where the outbreak occurred.

“Other precautionary measures include putting food in rodent proof containers and wearing protections such as masks, gloves, gowns among others,” he added.