- Lassa fever outbreak in Kano leaves one health worker dead
- Two confirmed cases currently in isolation and treatment
- Victim was a Doctors Without Borders staff member
- Over 60 contacts traced across five LGAs
One medical worker has been confirmed dead following a Lassa fever outbreak in Kano State, while two other persons have tested positive for the infectious disease, health authorities have confirmed.
The Kano Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) disclosed that the confirmed cases include a medical doctor and a female patient, both of whom are currently receiving treatment in isolation facilities.
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The Director-General of the centre, Prof. Mohammed Adamu, confirmed the development on Tuesday while addressing journalists in Kano.
According to him, the deceased was a staff member of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), who died after contracting the virus.
“We recorded a case of Lassa fever, but we were able to bring the situation under control,” Adamu said.
He explained that the victim, a French national working with the humanitarian organisation, arrived in Nigeria on January 28 and began showing fever symptoms about a week later.
“She visited a hospital and was placed on medication. However, after three days, her condition worsened and she started bleeding,” he said.
The patient was later taken to another medical facility but sadly died the same day.
Her remains were transferred to the mortuary at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), where blood samples were taken for laboratory testing.
“After conducting a series of tests, the sample tested positive for Lassa fever,” Adamu confirmed.
Further investigation through contact tracing revealed that a doctor from Minjibir Local Government Area and another woman who had contact with the deceased also tested positive for the virus.
The KNCDC boss disclosed that the two confirmed patients had contact with 62 persons across five local government areas, with 25 classified as high-risk contacts, all of whom are currently under close monitoring.
Health authorities say surveillance has been intensified to prevent further spread of the disease.