The Bauchi State government has confirmed three new cases of Lassa fever in the state.
The Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, confirmed the cases during a press briefing in Bauchi on Friday.
According to him, the state is on high surveillance and medical personnel are frightened due to the recent development in Kano that claimed the lives of some health workers.
Mohammed said, “This year, we have 15 suspected cases of Lassa fever – three confirmed cases out of the suspected … One thing that is giving us concern is no vaccine for it, we have only treatment of the contact and prophylaxis for the contact and then treatment of cases.
“So, doctors are afraid, and the nurses are also afraid but there is what we call universal safety precaution.
“Unless you touch this patient, unless you touch the secretion; so you have to wear your gloves, you have to make sure that you protect yourself from contact with the secretion,” he added.
The agency boss explained that the secretion was infectious and urged health workers to be careful when treating infected patients.
He disclosed that the disease was prevalent in three local government areas of Bauchi, Toro, and Tafawa Balewa.
“So far, no death has been recorded this year,” Mohammed stated.
