From Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
Bauchi State has recorded a renewed surge of Lassa fever as 30 people out of the samples taken have returned positive in six out of the 20 LGAs State.
The Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed while interacting with Journalists on the current situation of the disease and other issues of primary health care services held at the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) in Bauchi on Wednesday.
Rilwanu said the affected local government areas are mostly in Bauchi South and Central zones including: Bauchi, Bogoro, Ganjuwa, Kirfi, Tafawa Balewa and Toro which is the worst-hit attributing it to the ongoing harvesting of farm produce.
He said that from January to December this year, the state has recorded a total of 153 probable cases of Lassa fever out of which 136 were randomly tested with eight people confirmed dead.
The Chairman said that the state government is taking all necessary medical and preventive measures towards ensuring the safety of the people, stressing that the Agency is waiting for the intervention of the State Governor to procure more drugs and injectables to handle the disease and check it from spreading to other neighbourhoods.
He advised people of the state to follow personal and environmental hygiene, in order to control the spread of Lassa fever and other communicable diseases.
Rilwanu said that the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has approved a total of 350,000 doses of Pfizer BioNTech vaccines for administration to all those who have had their first and second doses of AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines in the state to serve as booster doses of vaccination against Covid-19 Omicron variant.
It will be recalled that over 38 people including prominent traditional rulers died because of Lassa fever in the state in 2020 which led to the constitution of a Taskforce on Lassa fever and COVID-19 headed by the State Deputy Governor, Sen Baba Tela.
