LAFIA: At least four persons, including two pregnant women, have died from suspected Lassa fever in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, prompting the temporary closure of the General Hospital in the community.
Health authorities confirmed that following the development, the hospital was shut down while several health workers, including the Medical Superintendent, were placed under isolation as a precautionary measure.
The Disease Surveillance Officer in Awe LGA, Ahmad Abdullahi, said concern heightened after a woman was brought to a health facility with symptoms suspected to be Lassa fever but died before receiving medical attention.
Her husband reportedly died shortly after exhibiting similar symptoms.
Abdullahi identified poor handling of suspected cases as a major challenge in containing the outbreak, noting that some patients referred to Lafia for isolation allegedly escaped before laboratory results were released.
He also lamented logistical challenges affecting disease surveillance, including the lack of motorcycles for officers across the state’s 13 local government areas, which he said hampers prompt response to cases in remote communities.
A nurse at the General Hospital, Awe, Ovey Polycarp, said the two pregnant women were initially treated for malaria before their conditions worsened, leading to bleeding and haemorrhage that resulted in their deaths.
She appealed for urgent provision of protective equipment for health workers, saying staff were living in fear due to inadequate safety kits.
Reacting to the incident, the Director of Public Health at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, Dr Peter Attah, said only one confirmed case of Lassa fever had so far been recorded in Awe LGA, adding that the patient died before laboratory confirmation was concluded.
Meanwhile, fumigation of the General Hospital in Awe is ongoing as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease to nearby communities.
