From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
No fewer than 34 persons spread across various parts of Ondo State have died of lassa fever from January to date.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Prof. Francis Faduyile disclosed this on Sunday.
Faduyile said the state recorded 227 cases of lassa fever in six Local Government Areas during the period.
According to him, the local governments are Owo, Ose, Akure South, Akoko South-West, Akure North and Ondo West.
Faduyile said there were three confirmed cases among health workers in the state.
“None of the health workers died because they reported early as a result of high index of suspicions and early presentations. They did well and recover quickly,” he said.
He explained that the prevalent period of the disease was during the dry season, noting that “although there could still be one or two cases during the rainy season.”
“Ondo State in the last epidemic was the epicenter of Lassa fever in Nigeria and the state government looked into the cause and ways to prevent the disease.
“The first way to prevent Lassa fever is to stop bush burning and we have sensitized against this. Besides, don’t put your food where rats have access,” he warned.