The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) wants Nigerians to respond to the current Lassa Fever outbreak with the same preventive measures used during the outbreak of Ebola Virus Diseases (EVD) because the two viruses are similar.
As at January 5, the Lassa Fever outbreak had killed five people in Taraba and Rivers states. However, three days later, Isaac Adewole, a professor and minister of health, confirmed that the casualty toll had risen to 40 across 10 states, with 86 suspected cases in all.
The affected states were listed as Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Plateau, Gombe, Rivers, Edo ad Oyo.
Enlightening the public in a series of tweets on Saturday, NEMA described the fever as an acute viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus and first described in 1969 in the town of Lassa, in Borno State.
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“Lassa fever is a member of the Arenaviridae virus family. Similar to Ebola,” it said.
“The virus is endemic in rodents in west Africa. Symptoms and Signs may be similar to malaria symptoms, may also include sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.”
#Lassa fever is a member of the Arenaviridae virus family. Similar to ebola. The #virus, which is endemic in #rodents in west Africa,
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— NEMA Nigeria (@nemanigeria) January 9, 2016
To protect themselves against the virus, the agency urged Nigerians to keep their environment rat-free.
“Step up your hygiene especially as regards food kept in stores. Wash canned foods and drinks etc. Go to the hospital if you have treated malaria and experience no improvement in your condition.
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“NEMA urges the public to rekindle hand washing/sanitization culture introduced during Ebola outbreak. If you suspect any case of Lassa Fever, call Federal Ministry of Health on 08163215251, 08031571667, 08135050005.”
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