The Anambra State Government has activated an emergency response and begun preparations for contact tracing after confirming a Lassa fever case linked to Omasi community in Ayamelum Local Government Area.
The patient is receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, in neighbouring Ebonyi State, the state Commissioner for Health, Afam Obidike, disclosed on Monday at an emergency stakeholders’ meeting in Awka.
Obidike said the government had strengthened disease surveillance and public awareness to prevent further transmission, with support from health partners, including the World Health Organisation and Médecins Sans Frontières.
He said the state had activated its Incident Management System, while health officials would visit the affected household in Omasi to identify people who had contact with the patient and classify them according to their level of exposure for appropriate monitoring.
The commissioner urged residents experiencing persistent fever or malaria-like symptoms that do not improve with treatment to seek medical attention promptly.
He warned against relying solely on self-medication, stressing that early diagnosis and proper medical care were important in managing the disease.
The state epidemiologist, Chuma Emembolu, advised residents to keep food covered, store it in rodent-proof containers and maintain clean surroundings to prevent rats from contaminating food and household items with their urine and droppings.
He also warned against direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of suspected or confirmed Lassa fever patients.
Emembolu urged residents of Omasi, other communities in Ayamelum and the wider state to remain vigilant, cooperate with public health officials and avoid spreading unverified information.
The government said the measures were intended to monitor potential contacts and reduce the risk of further transmission.
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