Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, has officially acknowledged the outbreak of Lassa fever in Kaduna State.
Speaking to newsmen on Friday in Abuja, Idris confirmed that the NCDC was closely monitoring the situation and working in collaboration with state health authorities to contain the spread of the disease.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NCDC) reports that Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic (excessive bleeding) illness that is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or contaminated persons.
Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, chest pain, and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings.
