Lassa fever kills 16 in Ondo

TRACKING____Ondo State government said on Tuesday that at least 16 people have died from Lassa fever in the state since its outbreak early this month.

The State Epidemiologist, Dr. Steven Fagbemi, disclosed this at a meeting between Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and major stakeholders, including the local government chairmen in Ondo North and Ondo Central Senatorial Districts.

He said the state had recorded 84 cases of the disease from January 1 to date.

According to him, 16 of the patients died because their cases had reached an advanced stage before they were taken to the hospital.

He also disclosed that 47 patients currently on admission were responding to treatment, while 21 persons had been treated and discharged.

Akeredolu, therefore, directed local government chairmen in the two senatorial districts to ensure a clean environment in their areas in order to check the spread of the dreaded disease.

He charged them to ensure that markets and their surroundings were kept clean to check further spread of the disease.

The governor also advised the chairmen to deploy street sweepers to market places and urged residents to wash their hands regularly as preventive measures.