65 Persons Under Surveillance As Lassa Fever Kills Student In Anambra State

The authorities of Anambra State on Monday confirmed that a nursing student was killed by Lassa Fever, while 65 others were being monitored.

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Speaking with newsmen in Awka, the Director of Public Health, State Ministry of Health, Dr Emmanuel Okafor, said that the deceased (name withheld) was a student in one private nursing school in Nkpor, Idemili North.

Okafor said that the lady was admitted at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, on June 11.

According to him, she was immediately transferred to the General Hospital, Irua, in Edo for diagnosis where she died on June 17.

“She was initially admitted at Amaku in Awka before she was transferred to Irua and was placed on admission there.

“She was bleeding from the gums, nostril and vagina and was confirmed Lassa Fever victim in Irua.

“The moment it was confirmed that she had Lassa fever, we started contacts tracing.

“As of now, we have about 65 we are following up, two of them have developed fever and their samples have been taken to Irua.

“We are still tracking others and we have advised them on what to do to ensure they do not transfer it to their loved ones,” he said.

Residents were also urged to keep their surroundings clean and keep their foods free from rats.

It would be recalled, In May, a member of the NYSC, Onwuegbuzie Stanley-Samuel, deployed to Cross River, died of Lassa fever disease at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).