Lagos State government yesterday said it has recorded fresh case of death from the highly dreaded Lassa fever ravaging the country. The state’s commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who disclosed this at a press conference explained that the state has recorded 20 suspected cases of Lassa fever as at January 26, 2016, since the outbreak of the disease in the country in November, 2015. Idris flanked by the state’s commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr.Steve Ayorinde said 14 suspected cases tested negative, while four suspected cases were confirmed positive of Lasssa fever. He added that the ministry has line-listed 537 contacts of the confirmed cases and 534 which represents 99 per cent of the contacts are currently being monitored.

The commissioner said, “The last confirmed case was a 27 year old lady, who travelled to Edo State on December 24, 2015 and returned to Lagos on January 2, 2016. She became ill on January 14, 2016 and received care in one private hospital and three churches before she was referred on January 23, 2016 to Ijede General Hospital with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and body weakness. The patient died within a few hours of admission. The case was confirmed as Lassa fever on January 26, 2016. “The remains of the patient has been kept in the morgue in leak proof body bag. She is to be buried after due consultation with her family. “Ninety (90) persons have been line-listed as contacts of the last confirmed case as at January 26, 2016 and contact tracing is on-going.”