Posted on: 08:41 Thu, 28 Jan 2016



Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
declared yesterday that the state has no case of
Lassa fever contrary to speculations.

Tambuwal, who divulged that, laboratory test for
the initial three suspected victims proved
negative, however, added that the state has
stepped up surveillance against any unforeseen
epidemic.

According to him, the state government has
intensified surveillance across the state in
efforts to contain any spread of Lassa fever.

The governor, after going round hospitals in
Sokoto to ensure that awareness on the dangers
of Lassa fever is intensified, said necessary
technological precautions have been put in
place across the 23 local governments of the
state.

“Despite initial apprehension of a possible case
of the deadly disease in the state, the three
suspected cases earlier taken to Lagos
University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Laboratory
Centre for blood sample analysis have all come
out negative, reaffirming the zero case
submission in Sokoto.

“All necessary precaution has been put in place
while technology has been deployed to help with
surveillance in all the 23 local government areas
of the state.”

While admonishing the people of the state to
ensure that they maintain hygiene at all time,
Tambuwal insisted that the recent re-
introduction of monthly environmental sanitation
with vigour has helped in no small measure in
sanitizing the state.

Earlier, the state commissioner of Health, Dr.
Balarabe Shehu Kakale informed that the state
government is ready to handle any emergency,
hence, it has trained enough personnel in that
regard.