Lassa Fever Kills 10-Year Old in Ebonyi

Lassa fever has claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy in Ebonyi State.

The death is the second confirmed case recorded in the state since the recent outbreak across the country. The commissioner for Health, Daniel Umezuruike, confirmed the death.

He said the victim died after he was discharged from the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki.

The commissioner described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the deceased was a day student of one of the primary schools in the state and hailed from Igbeagu, in Izzi Local Government Area.

Dr. Umezuruike said the deceased's parents were based in Abuja, but that the report before them did not show that the deceased traveled to meet with his parents in recent times.

He also explained that the 10 -year-old was not rushed to the hospital immediately he became sick.

According to him the deceased responded to treatment at first and as such, the hospital discharged him.

"But unfortunately, he died the same day he was discharged. His case was surprising because the hospital thought he was all right after being treated, but before he was discharged we had already taken his sample which came out positive," he said.

Dr. Umezuruike also confirmed that the case was the second Lassa case recorded in the state.

"The first person was a student of Ebonyi State University and now the 10 year-old," he said.

He pointed out however that his ministry had embarked on surveillance and contact-tracing of close associates of the last victim to enable them curtail the spread of the deceased in the state.