By Correspondent in Makurdi.
Dr Samuel Tagher Nyitor working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Benue State, north central Nigeria, has died of Lassa fever.
Dr Joseph Ngbea, the Commissioner for Health and Human Resources in the state,who confirmed the story to journalists in Makurdi on Monday in Makurdi,added that the deceased was taken to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo state for referral but could not make it as he died on Sunday.
Our Correspondent recalls that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), during its routine situation report in Abuja, disclosed that 80 persons had so far died from Lassa fever since the deadly virus broke out again in som8 states of the federation toward the end of 2021.
History has it that Lassa fever was discovered in 1964 in Lassa villag,Borno State in north east of Nigeria by some foreign medical doctors.
The centre added that 434 cases had been so far reported in the country, pointing out that states affected by the disease include:Edo (192), Ondo (150), Taraba (21), Ebonyi (17), Bauchi (15), Benue and Plateau 8 each and recorded eight cases while Kaduna,7.
Enugu State, according to the centre has (5), Nasarawa (3), Kogi (3), Cross River (1), Imo (1), Anambra (1), Delta (1), and Abia (1).
According to health experts,Lassa fever is an animal-borne, or zoonotic, acute viral illness, endemic in parts of West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.
They add that Lassa virus is typically transmitted by the urine or feces of Mastomys rats to humans, adding that health workers may be infected by direct contact with blood, body fluids, urine, or stool of a patient with Lassa fever.
They further explain that at the onset of the disease, when it is symptomatic, it is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, and malaise, adding that after a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
