Doctor Stephenson Ojeifo , Director of Public Health, Edo State Ministry of Health,
says , a total of three thousand three hundred patients have been tested for suspected cases of Lassa fever in the state in the year 2025.
He noted that among those tested, one hundred and eighty one patients tested positives of Lassa fever with thirty deaths recorded.
Doctor Ojeifo stated this in an interview with Radio Nigeria in Benin City, while commenting on measures the Edo State Government was taking in curbing the menace of Lassa fever in the state.
“As at January to week 47, which ended November 23rd, a total number of three thousand three hundred patients have been tested for suspected cases of Lassa fever, like I told you,when I mean suspected now, it’s when you have a patient running with fever that you are managing for more than three days it’s not resolving, suspect Lassa, what we normally do , even if it’s a private hospital, it’s to collect sample and we sent to irrua, the state Government has been magnanimous with that, they help to transport those samples , now from that three thousand three hundred, one hundred and eighty one tested positives , spreading round the local Government, and out of the one hundred and twenty one, we have recorded thirty deaths.”
The Edo State Director of Public Health noted that of the eighteen local Government areas of the state, three local Government areas were the most heated which were Estako West, Esan west and Esan North -East.
“Etsakwo west as of today we have recorded eighty seven positive cases,Esan West twenty eight , Esan North-East twenty eight and from that Etsakwo west, we have recorded eleven deaths, Esan North-East we recorded seven deaths,and Esan West, we recorded four deaths, and we just have pocket cases across other local Government as this aforementioned local Government area account for seventy percent of Lassa fever cases in the state “
Doctor Ojeifo who maintained that some Nigerians were still confused about Lassa fever due to its symptoms which are just like that of Malaria fever appealed to Nigerians to maintain a clean environment and avoid bush burning as the dry season sets in.
“Like I earlier said, Many persons don’t believe in it, so we are doing a sensitization to make sure that we come out with the final solution on how to really address the Lassa in our environment and communities to eradicate it that’s just the Hallmark, but for now we are just managing it.
“It’s like now a recurrent decimal, Year in year out, we are having cases of Lassa fever, and we are still going to dry season, so when there are bush burning you are now driving the rats from there place of abode and they must stay somewhere, and they will now find their way into our homes, so we need to discourage bush burning and environment is there, we need to keep our homes clean “.
Lassa fever is an illness some one can get from a virus that’s common in countries of West Africa. Lassa is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) , a group of viruses that can cause uncontrolled bleeding. Most people who have Lassa fever have mild symptoms like fever, headaches and fatigue. But about 20% of people who get it are seriously ill. Pregnant women are at especially high risk for miscarriage and other serious complications.
Lassa fever spreads through the poop and pee of infected rats. You can also get it from contact with the body fluids of someone who’s infected.
