The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Gbangsheya Buma, on Tuesday confirmed the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the state.
Making the confirmation via a telephone interview with OsunDailyNG, the commissioner said out of the nine suspected cases that were recorded last week Friday, eight turned out positive for the viral haemorrhagic fever.
Buma assured that the state Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation and collaborating with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, and the Federal Medical Center, Jalingo, FMC, authorities to contain the spread of the disease.
“It is not a surprising thing, this is the season, and we have made preparations, though the outbreak may be overwhelming.
“I just received support from NCDC; they have sent some people here to provide technical support with the aim of stopping the progress of the disease.
“We are actually on top of it. We have provided support as a state to the FMC to provide free treatment to patients of Lassa fever,” he said.
Acting Head of Clinical Services at FMC Jalingo, Joseph Kuni, provided further insight on the outbreak, revealing that the center currently has ten patients in its isolation ward, with some awaiting test results.
Kuni said, “From January to February, the center had recorded 19 deaths from the isolation center.
“From January to February, we sent 105 samples, and 60 of them came out positive for Lassa Fever while 39 came out negative. The remaining ones are still being awaited.”
He explained that due to a fire outbreak that affected the modular laboratory last year, the center cannot perform tests locally, so they send samples to Bauchi or Abuja for testing.
Additionally, Kuni confirmed that one medical doctor from the hospital was affected but has since been treated and discharged.
Kuni emphasized the need for more assistance considering the alarming number of cases, particularly from the central part of the state.
He reiterated that Lassa Fever is endemic in Nigeria, with sporadic outbreaks occurring primarily during the dry season, and is transmitted to humans through contact with contaminated food or household items.
