'No case of Lassa fever,' medical directors

The Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, Dr Peteru Inunduh, on Saturday said that there was no case of Lassa fever in the hospital.

In the same vein, his counterpart at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Prof. Abraham Malu, said the hospital had yet to record any case of Lassa fever.

The directors, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi, said that they were on the watch out, following the recent outbreak of the disease in the country.

He said that the blood sample of the patient had been taken to a laboratory outside the state for confirmation, adding that the hospital was treating the patient for other aspects of fever.

Malu said that the hospital was ready for any eventuality, as there was a team on ground for such emergencies.

Also, Inunduh said that Lassa fever was a contagious disease that should not be taken lightly, adding that any case should be immediately reported to the state epidemiology centre.

"We are yet to receive any Lassa fever case. It is a very dangerous disease and it is transferable, so if a case is discovered, the first thing to do is to report it to the hospital and the state epidemiology centre.

"We are on the watch out. We have a team on ground to monitor all patients 24 hours daily to detect cases that may be similar to Lassa fever for quick action," he said.

The two hospitals are the main tertiary institutions in the state with the equipment for the treatment of such a disease.