GOOD NEWS: No Lassa fever death in 72 hours

Isaac Adewole, minister of health, says there is no new confirmed case of Lassa fever in the country in the last 72 hours.

The minister, who was speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, said that the development showed that the spread of the disease was being curtailed.

“As of today, records from our surveillance team show that the number of suspected cases is 93; number of laboratory confirmed cases is 25, and the number of reported deaths is 41, with a fatality rate of 44 percent,” he said.

“We will like to state that given the high index of suspicion, the increasing number of suspected cases may not be out of place as health practitioners are more likely to include Lassa fever as a differential diagnosis in their health care facilities.

“However, the good news is that there have been no new confirmed cases or deaths in the last 72 hours. This is a reflection of our coordinated response and advocacy to all states.”

Adewole assured Nigerians that there was no need to panic because the nation’s health armada was enough to deal with the outbreak of the disease.

He also disclosed that four suspected cases of the disease in Rivers and Lagos states turned out to be negative.

While stating that there was a cure for Lassa fever, the minister advised Nigerians to be vigilant as early detection helps in nipping the disease in the bud.

He assured Nigerians that nobody would use the outbreak of the disease as an avenue to make money, disclosing that funds for the containment effort was from the budget of the ministry of health.

Lassa fever, which was first discovered in Borno state in 1969, broke out in Bauchi state in November 2015.