Against the rumour making rounds on social media, the Kogi State Government has denied outbreak of disease in Lokoja, the state capital.
Following the death of a 300-level Microbiology student of Federal University Lokoja, Mr. Agu Samuel Omonyai, the rumour had carried that there was an outbreak of a “strange disease” with symptoms of Lassa in the state.
Samuel, ebirareporters.com learnt, was rushed to the hospital last week Wednesday for admission, and passed away on Sunday.
Reacting to the rumour via a video statement, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza cleared the air, pointing no cause for alarm.
He noted that despite the state has been battling Lassa Fever for months, there has not been any active case in the last month.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that the most recent patient, now deceased, tested negative for Lassa Fever.
“The deceased presented to Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja with complaints of fever and bleeding from the gum. The deceased person on presentation, was being investigated and managed, and immediately the sample was taken and sent to NCDC lab in Abuja.
“Before the result came out, we lost the patient. The result came out this evening to be negative for Lassa Fever,” he said.
He pointed out there are other reasons aside hemorrhagic disease that could present the symptoms presented by the patient, stating that the patient did not die of Lassa fever.
