Ondo Has 106 Cases And 8 Fatalities From Lasa Fever

According to the Ondo State administration, 106 instances of Lassa fever have been reported in the state so far this year, along with eight fatalities.

The revelation was revealed in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Akure by Prof. Francis Faduyile, Special Adviser to the Governor on Health.

According to Faduyile, there are six local governments with verified cases: Owo, Akure North, Akure South, Ose, Akoko South-West, and Idanre.

His estimates place Owo (68 instances) first, followed by Akure North (13), Akure South (11), Ose (9) and Akoko South-West (5) and Idanre (1).

Between January 1 and January 23, there were 268 suspected cases, 106 confirmed cases, and eight fatalities, according to Faduyile.

He stated that the illness was most frequent while farmers were preparing land for cropping during the dry season and a portion of the rainy season.

“The farmers will burn a lot of bush at this time, and when they do, the rats will leave their natural habitat in search of a safer location, and many of them will likely approach residences nearby.

“Stopping bush burning is the primary step in preventing Lassa, and we have sensitized against this,” he stated.

Faduyile encouraged people to avoid placing their food in areas where rats may reach it.

“We have seen that certain of our traditional practices, such as spreading cassava on the road to dry, are dangerous because nearby rodents may eat the cassava and then urinate or defecate on it.

Rats are scavengers, so when there is leftover food that isn’t covered, they prefer to arrive, he said. “Moreover, we have discovered that our level of cleanliness, if it is not sufficiently addressed, might attract rats.