Lassa fever: Nasarawa State residents demands sustained sensitization

On May 14, 2023

Residents of two populated suburbs in Nasarawa State, Mararaba and New Nyanya, have called on the Federal Government and relevant health authorities to create adequate awareness about the spread of Lassa fever.

This is as the country continues to battle the recent outbreak of the viral infection in some parts of the country.

Some residents of New Nyanya, have expressed concerns over increasing patronage of bush meat bars and local eateries, popularly known as ‘Joints’, despite warnings and alerts issued on Lassa fever outbreak.

According to them, many people are not aware of the epidemic and are ignorant of the dangers.

They said a sustained sensitisation programme will go a long way to enlighten Nigerians about the disease.

One of the residents, Mr. Ben Chibuike, a businessman, said creating awareness about Lassa fever would help to reduce cases, adding that the country had recorded quite a number of fatalities from the disease.

He noted that many people are not aware of the dangers associated with eating bush meat, especially rats, which is the main channel of transmitting Lassa fever infection, due to a lack of adequate information.

“Relevant health agencies should create more awareness to avoid the further spread of the disease, especially now that it has spread to some states, including Nasarawa.

“I urge people to take precaution, try to be neat and get rid of rats from their environment,” Chibuike said.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Victoria Simeon, a housewife, said she was not aware of the disease because no case had been reported in her area.

Mrs. Chioma Eze, a healthcare giver, however, maintained that reports of Lassa fever outbreak had been widely reported by several media outlets, but that some Nigerians would not take precautions.

“Hygiene is paramount in this case. Nigerians should keep their homes and environments neat to avoid rats. Dirty environments attract rats,” she said.

However, Mr. John Garba, a beer parlour operator, said Lassa fever can spread fast if adequate hygiene measures are not put into consideration when preparing the bush meat.

He advised those in the businesses not to be ignorant of the disease and try to maintain good food and environmental hygiene

“It is not a beer parlour thing. It is all about good hygiene because the environment and the way food is preserved matter a lot.

“Bush meat pepper soup has to be prepared properly to avoid the transmission of infection from animals,” Garba said.

Wumi/Punch