Up to 23 deaths have occured in Ebonyi state as a result of lassa fever out break.
The disease which mostly break out in the dry season has since January 2024 claimed lives of school children, youths, elderly and working class in the society.
Blueprint reports that one of the popular deaths was that of Nurse Nkechinyere Eworo with the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki.
Forty-five cases according to epidemiology unit of the state Ministry of Health have been recorded out of which 23 died.
Speaking with Blueprint on Monday, the state epidemiologist Dr. Nwambeke Ogbonna and the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer in the state, Orogwu Sampson Onyemachi gave a rundown of the cases recorded so far.
Nwambeke noted that seven out of the 13 local government areas in the state were most hit by the virus.
While other states like Enugu had lesser records of Lassa fever.
“In Ebonyi State, we have what we call the 7 hotspots and that is the 7 local governments that is worst hit by lassa. We have Izzi, we have , Ikwo, Ezza North, Onicha, Ohaukwu, Ebonyi and Abakaliki local government.
“In the distribution as it concerns the adjoining states, we have a lot of cases coming from Enugu, specifically Uzo-Uwani , we also have cases coming from Uwalakande, Cross River State, we also have cases from Anambra State. And you know that Ebonyi is a metropolitan area; some people are from Ebonyi and some people are not from Ebonyi but they reside in Ebonyi,” he said.
Nwambeke disclosing efforts by the unit to curtail impact of the yearly disease said that a lot of sensitisation has been carried out.
He called on the state government to equip the unit especially the disease control with mobility and funds to enable them reach the hinter lands.
However, Mr Odogwu Sampson further broke down the records as following; “The current situation is that since the onset of this outbreak for this season, we have had 45 confirmed cases in Ebonyi with 23 deaths leaving a case fatality rate of 51. 1 percent.
“Of this 45 confirmed cases, we have had 5 health workers infection with one death from a health worker, we have had two cases from pregnant women, we have had three cases from school children. We have had one case from a retiree.
“So, for the 45 cases we have recorded Abakaliki local government is accounting for 21 cases and 12 deaths. So, the bulk of the cases is coming from Abakaliki. Ebonyi local government has had 6 confirmed cases with one death, Ezza North has had 7 confirmed cases and 5 deaths, Ikwo LGA has had 4 confirmed and 3 deaths, Izzi has had 1 confirmed case and one death, Ohaukwu has had 5 confirmed cases with no death, Onicha has had 1 confirmed cases and 1 death.
“Abakaliki has higher confirmed cases and deaths because there are more people in Abakaliki and as the town is growing, it is equally coming with its own side effects. We are beginning to have slums and the bulk of the cases in Abakaliki is coming from Hausa quarters and Nkaliki axis.
In Ezza North, the bulk of the cases is coming from Umuoghara and Oriuzor”.
