NIGERIA (Nasarawa) – One person has died of Lassa fever in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.

This was confirmed by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Emmanuel Akabe, while addressing journalists yesterday in Lafia.

According to him, the victim died onTuesday at the Dalhatu Araf Special Hospital after being admitted last week with symptoms of severe fever and bleeding.

The status of the deceased, according to the commissioner, was confirmed when the blood specimen was sent to the Lassa fever diagnostic centre at Irua in Edo State, where he was said to have Lassa fever.

Mr. Akabe explained that the hospital did its best to quickly seclude and treat him, and he became fairly stable until Tuesday when he died. He disclosed that blood specimen taken from the victim’s wife and others who had close contact with him was sent for examination and all came out negative.

The commissioner added that people from the village of the deceased shall be educated about Lassa fever and how they can avoid it.

“If the deceased had reported early enough to the hospital, the situation would not have gotten to this bad.

“He came to the hospital at the bleeding stage of the disease,” Mr. Akabe said.

The commissioner, therefore, charged members of the public to shun self-medication but to visit the nearest hospital for proper medical attention in order to stay alive.

He also encouraged the people to properly cook and cover their food as well as imbibe the culture of maintaining good environmental habits that would keep rodents, “which are the major agents of Lassa fever, away from sources of food.’’