Twenty-seven persons have died from the outbreak of a yet to be identified epidemic in Oye community of Obi local government area of Benue State.
Over 197 patients are also said to be suffering from general symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, bloated stomach, as medical doctors race against time to establish the name of the diseases.
Onoja Matthew, the doctor in charge at the Oju General Hospital, on Thursday, February 13, 2020, told ChannelsTV that, preliminary investigation and samples were taken for laboratory analysis for Lassa fever came back negative, prompting the hospital to refer the patients for more testing.
At Oye community, a four hours drive from Makurdi, survivors of the epidemic appealed for urgent containment of the disease to save the 197 patients who may lose their lives for lack of medical facility, road and potable water, a major cause of the outbreak after drinking from the chemically poisoned river.
While the cause of the epidemic may be from the use of chemical on this river, these symptoms are being recorded in two other neighboring communities, but the urgent need here is, immediate access to medical services to contain the outbreak, provision of access road to link them up to alternative support and potable water, a major source of concern in the area.
Lassa Fever Outbreak: Edo Government Places 1,200 People Under Surveillance
Edo State government has placed a total of one thousand, two hundred people under surveillance since the Lassa fever outbreak was reported in January this year.
It said the people have contact with Lassa fever patients or have contacts wot suspected Lassa fever cases.
Patrick Okundia, the Edo state commissioner for health, who spoke with journalists on Friday, January 31, 2020, said Edo has recorded 91 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and nine deaths.
Okundia said many symptomatic cases were being monitored.
Okundia said health workers have deployed to different parts of the state especially border towns.
He said the state government has continued to provide the necessary support to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, the center for the care of Lassa fever patients.
The health commissioner said plans were to purchase more ambulances to convey patients from across the state.
