Since
the beginning of 2018, Nigeria has recorded 16 deaths from 61 confirmed cases
of Lassa fever across the country.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC in
a press statement released on Wednesday said a total number of 107 suspected
cases has been recorded in ten states across the country.
The states are Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa,
Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Imo and Lagos.
According to the health agency, as at January
21, ten out of the 61 confirmed cases were health care workers from four states
Ebonyi- 7 , Nasarawa -1 , Kogi- 1 and Benue -1 out of which four are now
deceased.
Health workers are most times secondary victims
who get infected while treating patients with the disease.
Between 2005 and 2018, the infection claimed
over 40 health workers in Ebonyi according to the state chapter of the Nigerian
medical Association, NMA.
The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, on
Tuesday warned all health professionals to investigate every case of fever
before treatment.
Mr. Adewole said every fever must be
investigated properly and treated appropriately. He said no one should treat
malaria without diagnosis.
The Executive Director, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu
also advised health workers along same line urging them to practice standard
precautions at all times.
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