The Rivers State Government has urged residents of the state to stem the spread of Lassa fever through proper hygiene.
This comes as Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, approved a series of sensitisation programmes across the state to create awareness about the disease.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme approved by Wike on Friday for the state Government House staff and security details, the Chief Medical Director, Rivers State Government House Clinic, Dr. Miller Oruene, said regular hygiene, particularly the washing of hands, could help reduce the risk of getting infected by the viral disease.
She said, “Clean your house, clean your environment, avoid contact with sick persons with cases of bleeding and avoid rats.”
Oruene noted that the primary transmission of the Lassa virus from its host to humans could be prevented by avoiding contact with Mastomys rodents.
She explained that putting food away in rodent-proof containers and keeping the home clean will help to discourage rodents from entering homes.
Oruene further advised Rivers people to be wary of the signs and symptoms of Lassa fever, which included back pain, chest pain, conjunctivitis (redness of the eye), cough, diarrhoea, facial swelling, fever, mucosal bleeding, proteinuria, sore throat and vomiting.
She added that the mode of transmission — human to human — would occur when a person comes in contact with the virus in the blood, tissue, secretions or excretions of an individual infected with the Lassa virus, as well as through sexual transmission.
Oruene explained that the signs and symptoms occur from one to three weeks after the patient comes into contact with the virus.
Meanwhile, following the outbreak of Lassa fever in the state, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo, has called on the people to maintain a high level of hygiene to check new cases and spread of the disease in the state.
In a statement by her press secretary, Paul Damgbor, the deputy governor said the state government had put necessary machineries in place to ensure that the further spread of the endemic disease was curbed.
She charged the ministries of Health and Information and Communications to embark on sensitisation and enlightenment programmes for residents of the state to maintain good habit of hygiene.
Banigo lauded the efforts of the state Ministry of Health for ensuring that those isolated cases of the disease were promptly handled, noting that the Wike-led administration would do all within its powers to ensure that the state was free of Lassa fever through the provision of adequate logistics.
She, however, enjoined residents of the state to keep a clean environment devoid of rodents, especially rats and avoid coming in contact with affected person.
The deputy governor urged residents to report cases or symptoms of the disease to health centres or hospitals nearest to them.
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