Federal Government has cleared rumours saying horrible disease that has been causing so much unrest and deaths in some communities in Benue state is not Lassa fever.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Friday in Abuja explained that tests were carried out to ascertain what the disease is. The result was negative to Lassa fever.
He, however, said that they are still carrying out further investigations to ascertain what exactly the disease is, because till this moment they do not know what it is.
Ehanire disclosed that they, however, suspect that the outbreak is a result of fishermen using chemicals to kill fishes.
The consumption of these fishes is suspected to have triggered the series of deaths.
He therefore advised farmers to desist from using chemicals to fish as they are poisonous not only to the fishes, but also to anyone who consumes the fish.
The ailment, which cure and treatment are yet to be discovered by Nigeria’s health authorities, broke out as the country battles the Lassa fever scourge and coronavirus.
On Lassa fever, according to the situation report for the fifth week by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), there are 104 new confirmed cases and additional 6 deaths from 15 states – Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi, Kano, Kogi, Kaduna, Delta, Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi, FCT, Gombe, Enugu, Anambra, and Kebbi. This puts the total number of confirmed cases and deaths at 365 and 47 respectively.
According to the report, “In week 05, the number of new confirmed cases has increased from 95 cases in week 04, 2020 to 104 cases. These were reported from 15 states (Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi, Kano, Kogi, Kaduna, Delta, Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi, FCT, Gombe, Enugu, and Anambra, and Kebbi.
“The number of deaths has decreased compared to the previous week, with six (6) deaths reported in week 05. Cumulatively from week 1 to week 05, 2020, 47 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 12.9% which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2019 (17.7%).
“In total for 2020, 23 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 74 Local Government Areas. Of all confirmed cases, 76% are from Edo (35%), Ondo (35%) and Ebonyi (6%) states. The predominant age-group affected is 21-30 years.
“The number of suspected cases has significantly increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2019. One new Health Care Worker was affected in Delta state in the reporting week 05”.