We cant fight Lassa fever with the same method used to fight and won Ebola virus

Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has given
reasons the Federal Government cannot deploy
same method it used to fight and won the battle
against Ebola virus in the battle against Lassa
fever. The minister said while Ebola was imported
into the country through only one person, Lassa
fever is endemic in the country; hence the
approach to the two diseases cannot be the
same.

Adewole said this to State House correspondents
inside the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“We cannot win the battle against Lassa fever
the same way we won the one against Ebola.

Ebola happened to be a single importation to the
country. Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria. In
2012, we had upsurge in 26 states. So, it is there
but, I can assure you that with what we have put
in place this year, we will sign it off.”

The minister said current cases of the fever
could not be said to be resurgence because the
country had been having outbreaks with the
highest of 1,700 cases recorded in 2012.

Adewole said what has happened was that for
the first time in the history of the country, the
government was now being transparent and open
on the cases.

Meanwhile, in the South-West, Osun recorded its
first Lassa fever casualty, following a report by
the management of the Obafemi Awolowo
University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) yesterday.

According to the report, a laboratory test had
confirmed that the deadly rat-infected virus
disease caused the reported death of a resident
doctor on Monday at the hospital. The chairman
of a committee set up by the OAUTH on Lassa
fever, Prof. Adedeji Onayade, disclosed this while
speaking to newsmen in Osogbo yesterday.

According to him, the result of the first test
carried out on the deceased tested positive to
the highly contagious disease.