One case of Lassa fever confirmed in Kaduna

One case of Lassa fever confirmed in Kaduna

- Nigeria is battling with another outbreak of Lassa fever which has spread to some states

- Kaduna state is the latest state to be affected as a case has been confirmed in Chikun local government area of the state

- While the infected patient is being treated, the state government urges the resident to report any suspected cases to some listed designated phone numbers

As Nigeria witnesses another outbreak of Lassa fever, the disease has reportedly spread to Kaduna state. The latest case was confirmed in Chikun local government area of the state.

The infected patient has been quarantined and is currently receiving treatment at a specially designated centre.

The state's commissioner for health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni, said the Federal Ministry of Health has provided the state with the necessary facilities to tackle the disease, The Nation reports.

The health commissioner urged the residents of the state to promptly report any suspected case to the appropriate centres just as she urged them to take adequate measures to prevent being infected with the disease, which includes maintaining hygiene.

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She provided the mobile phone numbers to call in to report any suspected cases. They are 08036045755 and 08027396344.

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Legit.ng has highlighted the details of the latest Lassa fever outbreak, including the causes, symptoms of the disease and what to do to stay safe.

Causes of Lassa fever

Lassa fever mainly gets transmitted to humans through multimammate rats. It is passed through infected body fluid, contaminated food/household items and contaminated medical equipment.

Common symptoms

After being infected with Lassa fever, the symptoms may take one to three weeks before emanating. Some of the symptoms include fever, cough, back pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, facial swelling, abdominal pain, constipation, and sore throat.

How you can protect yourself

  1. Keep your environment, whether home or office/workshop, clean
  2. Cover all foods and water properly
  3. Cook all foods thoroughly
  4. Block all rats hideouts in your home, office/workshop

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If you notice any of the symptoms listed above, report to your nearest health facility for prompt check-ups and appropriate treatment

In a similar development, Nigerians have been cautioned against consuming soaked gari. This call was made by Dr Boniface Okolo, the director of Public Health, Enugu state.

According to him, this must be done in order to avoid contacting Lassa fever.

The medical doctor gave the warning when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday, January 18.

He argued that rats are most times in contact with Garri and that the rodents are the cause of the disease.

Going further, he said the consumption of Garri must be discouraged. He pointed out that adding hot water would have killed the bacteria causing the disease.

However, many Nigerians who reacted to the doctor's assertion said that under no circumstances would they abandon garri.

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In his reaction on social media, Wahab Rahmon Oladimeji said: "I can't stop laughing, if Garri gives Lassa fever, I should have died so many years back. I can remember when I was in primary school, I drank hell out of Garri. I used Garri a lot with kulikuli and groundnut."

Meanwhile, China is also currently dealing with an outbreak of a new deadly virus named coronavirus which has killed at least 17 people.

The deadly virus is also spreading quickly as over 550 cases have been reported globally.

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