Ten further cases of Lassa fever have been reported in Edo State, bringing the total number of confirmed cases there to 81, with eight fatalities.
The 10 new cases were confirmed in five local councils in the state: Etsako West, Esan North East, Esan West, Akoko Edo, and Etsako Central, according to Prof. Obehi Akoria, the Edo State Commissioner for Health, who briefed journalists in Benin City over the weekend.
Prof. Obehi urged citizens to support the government’s efforts by following preventive measures to help stop the spread of the disease, reassuring them of the government’s commitment to curbing the epidemic and ensuring the health and well-being of locals.
She said, “With ten new cases confirmed in five local councils in the state, we have continued to experience a steady rise in the number of confirmed cases and deaths from Lassa fever. There have been eight disease-related deaths out of a total of 81 confirmed cases.
The 81 confirmed cases, according to her, were dispersed among the state’s 11 local government districts, including Etsako West, which had 33 cases; Esan West, which had 19, Esan North East, which had 16, Esan Central, which had 2, and Esan South East, which had 2.
Etsako East, Owan East, Akoko Edo, Ovia North East, Oredo, and Etsako Central LGA are the others, each with two confirmed cases.
The Commissioner expressed concern over the increasing number of virus-related fatalities and noted that the state now has a case fatality rate of 10%. She also noted that eight deaths were reported in four local councils in the state, including Etsako West (4 deaths), Esan North East (2 deaths), Etsako East (1 death), and Oredo with one death.
Prof. Akoria emphasized that the majority of fatalities in the state were caused by people who were ill but did not seek treatment at a suitable hospital until they experienced complications. He urged citizens to “take responsibility to work with the ministry of health, observe preventive measures, and report early symptoms suspected to be malaria or any other illnesses that present like malaria.”