Worried by the reported death of two persons in Kano and about 39 others in 11 states across the country as a result of Lassar, Kano State government has constituted a 22- man Task Force on Lassa Fever Response.
Inaugurating the Task Force, the state governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje warned that because the disease is spread by rodents as a result of poor hygienic practices, it has become imperative for the people to pay more attention to personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.
Advising the people not to allow rodents feed on their foods, the governor stressed “the need for families to properly dispose food remnants and ensure that their kitchen utensils are kept clean always”.
Governor Ganduje also urged the people to be on the watch for symptoms of the disease and to report any suspected Lassa fever case to the nearest health facility. He said government would place emphasis on advocacy and public enlightenment to ensure that Lassa fever no longer occurs in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabir Ibrahim Getso who disclosed that the two patients who died in the state as a result of the Lass epidemic were officially recorded in November, 2015 but both died on the 4th December of the same year.
Dr.Getso explained that the Lassa virus is carried by rats and spread to humans adding that the ailment could be spread from person to person through direct contact, adding that his ministry has designated a health facility at ‘Yargaya to handle Lassa Fever cases.
The commissioner added that the state government has also set aside a hotlines to track the diseases, engaged in aggressive contact tracing of the deceased victims as well as embarked upon vigorous public enlighten campaigns through radi