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The Cross State Government has confirmed that Lassa fever broke out in the Obubra local government area after a 30-year-old male farmer from the Unincha community passed away.
Health Commissioner Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk announced the outbreak in a statement on February 24, 2025, revealing that the victim was in Aba, Ebony on February 17 The Federal University Teaching Hospital in Caliche (FUTHA) succumbed to the disease.
The farmer was sick for a few days before seeking medical care at FUTHA on February 15. He tested Lassa positive for fever on February 16, but despite treatment, he passed away the next day.
His body was prepared in Futha and transported to Unincha for supervised burial, conducted by the Obubra Local Government Regional Rapid Response Team.
To cope with the outbreak, Dr. Ayuk activated the Cross River State Lassa Fever Emergency Operations Center on February 18, and rapid response teams from state and local government areas were deployed to Unincha.
The intervention is being conducted in collaboration with the major state health care development agencies (SPHCDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The response team is implementing key containment measures, including contact tracing and monitoring, community sensitivity and advocacy campaigns, city hall meetings with local leaders, purification of affected families, sample collection for laboratory tests, and will be symptomatic people Refer to healthcare facilities, as well as protective equipment in areas with LASSA fever and cholera medication distribution, medical supplies and high-risk local governments.
AYUK assured residents that the government led by Governor Bassey Edet Otu is ready to curb the outbreak and prevent further spread of infectious diseases.
He urged the public to remain vigilant, especially in early rainfall, as Lassa Fever, Cholera and MPOX pose significant health risks. He explained that LASSA fever is caused by the Lassa virus, which is transmitted through food or household items contaminated by breast chinchilla rats, a species found in tropical environments.
Symptoms usually start with common weaknesses, fever, headache, sore throat and muscle pain, which develop into nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, insufficient bleeding.
To prevent infection, the specialist advises residents to keep their surroundings clean, without rodents, store food in rat-proof containers, avoid direct contact with rats or feces, and to take medical care immediately if symptoms occur, and avoid self-treatment and self-self Treat and report suspicious cases to health authorities.
“The Cross State Department of Health remains on high alert and works closely with stakeholders to ensure that this situation is quickly curbed,” the commissioner said.
