The Permanent Secretary of
the ministry, Chief Egbulefu Eze, told newsmen in Umuahia on Tuesday that 28-year-old
man, who died in the community, was diagnosed of Lassa fever.
The Abia State Ministry of
Health has confirmed the outbreak of deadly Lassa Fever in Olokoro community,
Umuahia South Local Government Area.
He said that the victim
died on January 1 at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, where he was
admitted.
He said, “I want to report
about an outbreak of Lassa fever at Olokoro,” the permanent secretary said,
adding that it was the fourth time Abia would experience the outbreak since
1999.
Eze stated that the state
government had always contained previous outbreaks and was already on top of
the situation.
“There’s no cause for
alarm. Government is on top of the situation,” Eze said.
He said that in the course
of the investigation, all those that came in close contact with the deceased
had been identified and placed on surveillance, adding that the disease
surveillance officers of the ministry was already consulting with the state
office of the World Health Organisation to map out strategies on ways to
checkmate the spread of the disease.
Speaking on the disease,
the Medical Director of FMC Umuahia, Dr Azubuike Onyebuchi, said that the
deceased was initially suspected to be suffering from acute appendicitis.
Onyebuchi said that further
examination on the man revealed the case of Lassa fever.
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