The Environmental Health Officers in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FTC) had begun sensitisation to prevent the spread of Lassa fever and other diseases in the FCT.

Mr Dominic Abonyi, Registrar, Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON), said on Wednesday that the exercise was being carried out in various markets and parks.

Abonyi, who led the team, said that the team would move to Model market, Garki, Utako market, parks and other public places in the FCT.

“I am calling on the general public to cooperate with our experts, that is the EHOs, to ensure that the sensitisation create a huge impact on the lives of our public.

“Lassa fever is an acute viral infection associated with persistent high fever.

“People can be infected by eating infected bush meat, eating food contaminated with the rat excreta or urine deposited on surfaces such as floors, beds, household utensils or in food and water.

“People who live in a poor sanitation environment can easily contact the disease, but it can be prevented by avoiding contact between rats and humans.

“Keeping our environment clean, covering all foods and water properly, discarding any food part-eaten by rats and cooking all foods thoroughly can also help to prevent the disease.

“We are moving around with the message and also we are giving the public flyers that they can read and know how to clean their environment,’’ he said.

Mr Haruna Labaran, Head of Environmental Department, Bwari Area Council, said that the team discovered that there are many rats in the markets` environment.

“The situation is terrible. We discovered that there are many rats in the market, meaning that the traders are not taking adequate care of the environment.

“We need to sensitise more people in the markets, they only come to sell but do not care to clean the environment.

“Our job is to educate people on how to maintain their environment, but we are facing the challenge of inadequate man power.

“The market is a large place so it needs more hands to monitor them.

“Because of the situation in the country I think it is good to bring the monthly environmental sanitation back in the FCT, “ he said.

Some traders at the market complained to the News Agency of Nigeria that the EHOs were not always visiting to monitor the markets` environment.

Mr Ifeanyi Egwu, a trader at the Model Market, Garki, said that such inspection would encourage the traders to be committed in the cleaning of the environment.

Mrs Juliet Efiong, also a trader, said that the sensitisation would go a long way to prevent the spread of diseases, if traders abide by the environmental officers` instructions.

Efiong, however, called on the government to fumigate the markets so as to reduce or wipe out rats and rodents in the area.