Ten health workers have died of Lassa fever infection, with 45 cases testing positive out of 250 suspected infections recorded in Benue State .
The State Epidemiologist, Dr Msuega Asema, revealed this on Friday during an assessment visit by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ejeh-Ogwuche, to isolation centres at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi.
Asema said the disease has severely infected five medical doctors, four nurses, two community health extension workers and one hospital porter.
He lamented that the rising infections among health personnel was alarming.
Asema said of the 250 suspected cases reported so far, 45 have been confirmed, with 10 cumulative deaths among health workers.
The commissioner told the residents not to panic, saying the government had declared a Lassa fever outbreak on February 3 and activated containment measures.
He said the high infection rate among health workers was due to human-to-human transmission and lapses in infection prevention protocols.
The commissioner said “we are here to assess the situation on the ground. The figures may look disturbing, but the government, under Governor Hyacinth Alia, is fully committed to containing the outbreak. Necessary resources are being mobilised to ensure swift containment.”
He said surveillance officers have been sent to the 23 local government areas to increase monitoring, contact tracing and community engagement.
Ejeh-Ogwuche told the residents to promptly report symptoms at designated health facilities to reduce fatalities.
The Chief Medical Director of Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Stephen Hwande, said the hospital had intensified infection prevention measures.
He, however, called for urgent intervention to upgrade isolation centres with patient monitors, improved waste management systems and a functional emergency laboratory for on-site testing.
