Billy Graham Abel, Yola

Adamawa State has recorded its first case of death from Lassa Fever. The victim, a personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) identified as Gabriel Ambe, serving in Gembu, Taraba, is said to have died on Thursday at the Federal Medical Centre in Yola.

Dr. Batulu Mohammed, head of the State Rapid Response team for Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Sati Awang, Consultant, Infectious Disease – both with the Federal Medical Centre – confirmed that the query for Lassa Fever from laboratory tests of blood samples returned positive for Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, popularly known as Lassa Fever.

The State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Fatima Atiku Abubakar, also confirmed the incident, explaining that the death was the first recorded case of Lassa Fever in the northeastern state.

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Dr. Fatima Abubakar said that while the state rapid response team, made up of officials from the ministry and other health experts on infectious disease and representatives of the World Health Organization, have already moved to identify individuals who came into contact with the deceased in order to contain its spread.

She explained that since the deceased is suspected to have exported the disease from Taraba into Adamawa there are possibilities he had contact with others.

Taraba State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Innocent Vakai, stated that “a rapid response team has already held a meeting and have already divided themselves into various groups beginning from where he came from.”