WHEN in 2012, there was an outbreak of Lassa Fever in Taraba State, one thought the much-needed measures would be put in place by both the state and federal governments to forestall future occurrences.

But the second outbreak, which started on December 24 last year, has not only brought tears and untold hardship to the victims, but has also began to compel the people to distance themselves from one another, following warnings by medical experts to avoid the regular handshakes and embrace.

Though families of the victims have been prevented from fielding questions from the media, but they remain traumatised and quarantined to curtail the spread of the disease.

Like the issue of HIV/AIDS, which the government had handled with kids glove, victims families are now stigmatized, as many residents within the vicinities where the disease erupted have began to seek accommodation elsewhere.

Though the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), where the survivors are presently undergoing treatment, Dr. Wiza Inusa, is doing everything possible to check the spread, the need for governments at all level to be up and doing cannot be over-emphasised.
Inusa disclosed that three persons have been killed by the disease and two were undergoing treatment in the hospital.
He was optimistic that the situation would soon be under control and urged the public not to panic, as relevant measures had been put in place to curtail its spread.

Inusa stressed the need for the people to observe “simple basic hygienic procedures to contain the situation.”
According to him: “This disease is carried by rodents and simple basic hygienic procedures as to how they keep their foods, how they keep the plates and pots in the house are very important here.
“They should clean the environment, so that it does not invite rats.
“Where anybody who has fallen sick, especially if they have developed fever or bleeding problem or abdominal pain, for which simple remedy has not given them any substantial improvement, they should not delay in reporting to the hospital.”

He explained that if urgently attended to, the disease could be controlled, stating: “If treatment is started early, the mortality rate would very low.
“But if treatment is delayed, then the mortality rate escalates.
People should avoid crowded areas and too much handshakes, and if anyone dies in your family of unexplained condition, the medical personnel should be immediately informed.”

The medical doctor said both the state government and FMC were prepared to contain the outbreak.
Also speaking with The Guardian, the Medical Director of the state Specialist Hospital, Dr. Rimande U. Joel, said the hospital did not received any case “until on Wednesday, when three patients were brought in very bad shape.”

The patients, he said, were undergoing treatment of suspected Lassa Fever.
The state government, according to the Commissioner for Health, Innocent Vakkai, had made drugs and other required medical equipment available to the hospitals to contain the spread of the virus.
He noted that most of the cases were suspected case and that blood samples had been sent to the National Centre for Disease Control, which “has assisted us with drugs.”

The commissioner noted the disease is not a new disease in Nigeria, as the first outbreak was recorded in 1969 in Lassa village of Borno State.
But he enjoined the people not to stop patronising the hospitals, which he stated remained “safe for people to go in for treatment.”
Some prominent persons charged the government to invest more on rural health by upgrading health facilities across the state.