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LequteMan
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Health officials in Niger, Kano and Bauchi states are partly responsible for the spread of Lassa Fever, a deadly hemorrhaging virus to other areas of Nigeria, Thisday reports.
The virus may have spread from Bauchi, Kano and Niger States to about eleven states, including Abuja because of failure of health officials to report the cases in the three initially affected states to authorities in Abuja.
Reports say the new phase of the disease first broke out in November 2015 in these states and while persons were dying, villagers and states' health officials buried the dead and failed to report the cases to relevant authorities.
The Project Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulrahman Nasidi, explained that the cases of Bauchi and Kano States could be spared, but Niger State government and its health officials were culpable.
According to Nasidi, "actually, the case in Kano was transported there, for Niger, the cases were not reported. In fact, the minister said we are going to do something about it.
"As I speak with you now, a team is in Niger State investigating why the current Lassa fever cases were not reported to authorities early enough," Nasidi explained.
A typical case was Fuka in Niger State, which prompted the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to visit the community. A miffed Adewole, was said to have expressed his displeasure on the poor handling of the outbreak of Lassa fever.
The public is aware of the virus but health officials say there is nothing to panic about.
The virus may have spread from Bauchi, Kano and Niger States to about eleven states, including Abuja because of failure of health officials to report the cases in the three initially affected states to authorities in Abuja.
Reports say the new phase of the disease first broke out in November 2015 in these states and while persons were dying, villagers and states' health officials buried the dead and failed to report the cases to relevant authorities.
The Project Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Prof. Abdulrahman Nasidi, explained that the cases of Bauchi and Kano States could be spared, but Niger State government and its health officials were culpable.
According to Nasidi, "actually, the case in Kano was transported there, for Niger, the cases were not reported. In fact, the minister said we are going to do something about it.
"As I speak with you now, a team is in Niger State investigating why the current Lassa fever cases were not reported to authorities early enough," Nasidi explained.
A typical case was Fuka in Niger State, which prompted the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, to visit the community. A miffed Adewole, was said to have expressed his displeasure on the poor handling of the outbreak of Lassa fever.
The public is aware of the virus but health officials say there is nothing to panic about.
