EU scales up surveillance of livestock diseases 

The Oyo State Government, yesterday, disclosed that it had sealed two hospitals over suspected cases of Lassa fever. The rapid response team in the state said it had confirmed four deaths, linked to a suspected Lassa fever outbreak in Saki West Local Council of the state.
   
The team noted that those who lost their lives included three males and one 32-year-old female who was preparing for her marriage. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, made these declarations in a statement made available to journalists.
   
Ajetunmobi said that one of the apprentices at the hospital, who had returned from Iwajowa and fell ill about two weeks before the incident, was suspected to have spread the infection.
 
The commissioner added that the apprentice may have likely transmitted it to her co-workers and the hospital owner. She maintained that the hospital, where four deaths were recorded, has been shut down.
   
Ajetunmobi also said the hospital that admitted the deceased health facility owner, without being informed of the deaths from an ‘unknown’ illness, was also shut down for decontamination.

The commissioner added that the doctor was placed under surveillance.

SIMILARLY, the European Union (EU) under its Livestock Disease Surveillance Knowledge Integration (LIDISKI) project has scaled up surveillance and control of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and Newcastle Disease (ND) livestock diseases in three states, including Kano, Plateau and Bauchi.

The Head of Human Resources, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Leila Mathieu, during the close out of the five-year project, yesterday, in Abuja, stated that the LIDISKI project has made substantial progress in disease surveillance, with nearly 1,830 small ruminants suspected of PPR and 861 poultry suspected of ND reported by the State Veterinary Service.