Via Punch: Kwara confirms cases of Lassa Fever, Yellow fever, Polio. Excerpt:
The Kwara State Government has confirmed two cases of Lassa Fever infecting a husband and wife in the state.
The government also confirmed an outbreak of circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus which claimed the life of a two-year-old girl and a case of Yellow Fever infecting a farmer.
Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday during at a news briefing, the Kwara Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Usman Rifun-Kolo said the outbreak of Lassa Fever was identified in a farm settlement in Taberu, Baruten Local Government Area.
He, however, explained that the two cases of the disease affected a husband and wife, who were natives of Benin Republic, which shares a border with the state. He added that the husband and wife are farming in Baruten.
“These cases of Lassa Fever originated from Benin Republic, whose citizen have inter-relations with people in Baruten area,” he said.
According to him, the husband and wife were diagnosed in a health facility, and that the state government had already deployed disease surveillance team to identify those who have been in contact with the patients.
Rifun-Kolo further explained that the surveillance team identified four people with history of fever in the area.
He said that the four cases raised suspicion of Lassa fever, which prompted them to take samples from the individuals for further investigation.
