The Federal Government says Lassa fever has claimed 41 lives
from 93 reported cases in 10 states of the country.
The Federal Government, on Friday, put the death toll at 40
out of 86 reported cases of Lassa fever outbreak in same 10 states.
The number of the suspected cases also rose from 86 last
week to 93.
Professor Isaac Adewole, the Minister of Health, confirmed
this in Abuja on Tuesday at a joint ministerial news conference on the update of
the outbreak of the disease.
However, Adewole said there were no new confirmed cases or
death in the last 48 hours.
He did not disclose the state from which the additional life
was lost.
"In the last 48 hours, the government raised a four-man
expert committee, chaired by Professor Michael Asuzu, to visit Kano, Niger and
Bauchi, the three most endemic states.
"The committee will embark on a fact finding mission,
assess the current situation, document response experiences, identify gaps and
proffer recommendations on how to prevent future occurrences," he said.
The minister assured the public that the task of the
committee was not to apportion blame but rather to document lessons learnt for
better planning of an affective responsive.
According to Adewole, part of the long-term response is to
establish an inter-ministerial committee to deliver a final blow on Lassa fever
and other related diseases.
The committee comprised the ministers of Education,
Agriculture and Natural Resources, Environment, Information and Culture as well
as Health.
Adewole advised communities to improve on their hygiene,
including food hygiene and food protection practices.
He also urged the public to avoid contact with rodents and
rats as well as food contaminated with rat’s secretions and excretions.
The minister said affected states had been advised to
intensify awareness creation on the signs and symptoms of the disease.
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