The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has disclosed that there has not been any new confirmed case of Lassa fever in the country within the last 72 hours.
The minister, who made this disclosure at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, said that the development is an indication that the spread of the disease was being curtailed.
According to him, “As of today, records from our surveillance team show that the number of suspected cases is 93; number of laboratory confirmed cases is 25, and the number of reported deaths is 41, with a fatality rate of 44 percent.
“We will like to state that given the high index of suspicion, the increasing number of suspected cases may not be out of place as health practitioners are more likely to include Lassa fever as a differential diagnosis in their health care facilities.
“However, the good news is that there have been no new confirmed cases or deaths in the last 72 hours. This is a reflection of our coordinated response and advocacy to all states.”
While informing Nigerians that there was no need to panic as the nation is capable of dealing with the outbreak of the disease, he disclosed that four suspected cases of the disease in Rivers and Lagos states turned out to be negative.
The minister, who stressed that there was a cure for Lassa fever, advised citizens to be vigilant as early detection helps in nipping the disease in the bud.
He insisted that nobody would be allowed to exploit the Lassa fever outbreak financial gains, stressing that funds meant for the containment effort was from the budget of the Ministry of health.
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