Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The Katsina State Government has confirmed two cases of the Lassa Fever disease in the state.
Briefing the press on Wednesday, the Executive Secretary, Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Shamsudden Yahaya, said that one of the victims, a pregnant woman from Kwarin Yashe village in Kusada Local Government Area, was confirmed dead from the disease on Tuesday night.
According to him, the second case, also involving a woman, has been quarantined and is undergoing treatment at the Kankia General Hospital.
He noted that travel and movement histories of the victims indicate that they both entered Katsina from locations in Bauchi State.
Yahaya further said that the two victims were part of a total number of seven cases of suspected Lassa Fever currently under investigation by the agency.
He said that four of them tested negative while the result for one of the cases was still being awaited.
According to Yahaya, “the pregnant woman died on Sunday but the other one is still alive and responding to treatment.
“The pregnant woman was vomiting, bleeding and the pregnancy was aborted just before she died,” he added.
“The dead woman was 26-years-old with three months pregnancy, while the woman is 60-years-old and a relation of the deceased.
“The four cases travelled from Bauchi to Kusada Local Government Area of the state where they reported at the General Hospital in Kusada, complaining of feverish conditions and they were subjected to a thorough medical examination.
“The agency will widen the net on the management of the epidemic, supervision of burial rites for victims, provision of body bags for health workers and ensuring decontamination with the corpses of Lassa Fever victims.”