The Federal Government has declared an outbreak of Lassa Fever and activated Emergency Operation Centres (EOC). This was following the confirmation of at least 60 cases of the disease, NAN reports.
The Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed that the epidemiological data shows the trend of the occurrence of the disease during the dry season, between January and April.
He noted that the about 60 cases were recorded across eight states as at january 13th 2019.
The EOC is made of the representative from World Health Organisation (WHO), Federal Ministries of Environment and Agriculture and Rural Development as well as other stakeholders.
According to him, the NCDC has continuously worked with states to enable better preparedness and since the outbreak of 2018, adding that new guidelines and data management tools as well as the laboratory network have been developed to contain the outbreak.
Ihekweazu further stated that awareness has been intensified through media platforms like radio, posters, flyers and social media.
He urged Nigerians to practice good personal and environmental hygiene as preventive measures. He also advised that food items such as grains be stored in rodent-proof containers, and proper garbage disposal methods be practiced.
