A suspected outbreak of Lassa fever in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State has reportedly claimed four lives, including two pregnant women, sparking fear and heightened surveillance in the area.
Investigations on Wednesday revealed that the outbreak led to the temporary closure of the General Hospital in Awe, while health workers, including the Medical Superintendent, were placed in isolation as a precautionary measure.
Confirming the development, the Disease Surveillance Officer in the area, Ahmad Yahuza-Abdullahi, said the situation first raised alarm when a woman was brought to a health facility in Awe with symptoms suspected to be Lassa fever and died before receiving medical care. A few days later, he said, the woman’s husband also reportedly died after presenting similar symptoms.
Yahuza-Abdullahi identified poor handling of suspected cases as one of the key challenges confronting health workers during disease outbreaks. He further disclosed that some suspected patients conveyed to Lafia for isolation reportedly escaped, worsening anxiety in the community.
“None of the Disease Surveillance Officers across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State has been provided with motorcycles by the government, which is affecting prompt response to remote areas,” he said.
“The state government sent an ambulance to Awe to convey six suspected cases for isolation in Lafia, but they were allowed to escape even before laboratory test results were released.”
Also speaking, a nurse at the General Hospital, Awe, Ovey Polycarp, appealed to the state government to urgently provide protective kits for health workers to prevent further spread of the disease.
“We are living in fear because we do not have protective equipment to manage the outbreak,” she said, adding that the conditions of some patients deteriorated rapidly after initial symptoms.
Reacting to the reports, the Director of Public Health at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Attah, clarified that only one confirmed case of Lassa fever had so far been recorded in Awe Local Government Area, noting that the patient died before laboratory confirmation was released.
Meanwhile, fumigation is ongoing at the General Hospital in Awe as part of efforts to prevent further transmission to residents living around the facility.
Umar Muhammed, Lafia
Follow us on:
