Imo State Records First Case Of Lassa Fever

The Lassa fever outbreak has spread into Imo State, the state government has confirmed.

The disclosure was made by the Commissioner for Health, Social Development and Women Affairs, Ngozi Njoku via a statement released over the weekend, The Guardian reports.

According to Njoku, the patient was treated secretly at a private hospital and then subsequently transferred to another facility without an official report to the government for appropriate action.

“All public and private health institutions in the state are mandatorily required to pass through the Ministry of Health any suspected case in their facilities. This is in the interest of the health of hospital staff and public,” the statement read.

The commissioner also listed the emergency numbers to call when a suspected Lassa fever case is observed as 08036689953, 08098969505, 08033009841 and 08163432989.