Lassa fever has claimed two pregnant women and a man in Makurdi, Benue State.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Cecilia Ojabo disclosed this to newsmen in Makurdi on Thurdsay.
She said one of the pregnant women was confirmed positive when her blood sample was sent to a specialist hospital in Irua in Edo State, while the other died on her way to the hospital after testing positive for Lassa fever at Federal medical center Makurdi.
“The first pregnant patient commenced treatment for Lassa fever at the designated centre located at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi but died in the process,” she said.
She also confirmed that a second pregnant woman died on Thursday morning after showing symptoms of the disease.
“Just this morning, l got a report from the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi that another suspected case of Lassa fever was recorded and they were advised to take the patient to the infection unit in the teaching hospital but on their way to the hospital, the patient died with her pregnancy.
“Seven persons close to the victims had been placed under surveillance”, Ojabo stated.
Ojaba also disclosed that a patient from the Guma Local Government Area of the state manifested late symptoms of Lassa fever when he started bleeding from the nose, ears and mouth.
According to her, the victim was admitted to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital but before doctors could obtain his blood sample for the test at Irua, he died.
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