Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal declared yesterday that the state has no case of Lassa fever contrary to speculations.
Tambuwal, who divulged that, laboratory test for the initial three suspected victims proved negative, however, added that the state has stepped up surveillance against any unforeseen epidemic.
According to him, the state government has intensified surveillance across the state in efforts to contain any spread of Lassa fever.
The governor, after going round hospitals in Sokoto to ensure that awareness on the dangers of Lassa fever is intensified, said necessary technological precautions have been put in place across the 23 local governments of the state.
“Despite initial apprehension of a possible case of the deadly disease in the state, the three suspected cases earlier taken to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Laboratory Centre for blood sample analysis have all come out negative, reaffirming the zero case submission in Sokoto.
“All necessary precaution has been put in place while technology has been deployed to help with surveillance in all the 23 local government areas of the state.”
While admonishing the people of the state to ensure that they maintain hygiene at all time, Tambuwal insisted that the recent re-introduction of monthly environmental sanitation with vigour has helped in no small measure in sanitizing the state.
Earlier, the state commissioner of Health, Dr. Balarabe Shehu Kakale informed that the state government is ready to handle any emergency, hence, it has trained enough personnel in that regard.