Nine Die Of Lassa Fever In Benue

Nine persons have died from Lassa fever in Benue State in the past two months.

The State Epidemiologist, Dr Sam Ngishe, disclosed this to journalists in a telephone chat on Thursday.

This comes after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said it has recorded 2,621 suspected Lassa fever cases and 84 deaths with a case fatality rate of 18.6 per cent.

According to Ngishe, 46 people including health workers and internally displaced persons have been hit by the dreaded disease across the state.

He noted that four cases were found among the Internally displaced persons at Ortese IDP camp in Guma LGA of the state.

Dr Ngishe said that the disease had spread to seven of the 23 local government areas of the state, and identified the affected council areas to include; Obi, Okpokwu, Gwer West, Makurdi, Guma, Gwer East, and Ukum.

He said, “Nine deaths in confirmed cases, and they have been buried in accordance with safe burial protocols across the various areas of the state where they hail from''.