At least 12 people have died from Lassa fever in Ondo State, with 112 confirmed cases and 353 reported infections, the state government revealed on Tuesday.
Acting Statistician-General Olusola Ajayi urged collaboration between health stakeholders and waste management authorities to curb the spread.
Ajayi urged the agency to collaborate with health stakeholders to ensure a cleaner environment and help curb the spread of the disease.
“We are all in this together, and we must act fast. As of today, Ondo State has recorded 353 cases of Lassa fever, with 112 confirmed cases and 12 deaths. If we want to take action, the time is now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Adeniran Ikuomola, confirmed nearly 400 suspected cases and announced a new Lassa fever diagnostic centre donated by the Federal Government, NCDC, and the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN).
The facility aims to improve detection and treatment as authorities work to contain the outbreak.
He said, “We have inspected the equipment provided by the Federal Ministry of Health, through NCDC and facilitated by IHVN. With this, we expect to improve case detection and management significantly.
“As of last week, we had over 400 suspected cases and more than 100 confirmed cases. While there have been fatalities, the state government is making efforts to reduce deaths from Lassa fever.”