The National Orientation Agency in Ebonyi State has launched a statewide sensitisation campaign on Lassa Fever prevention, urging residents to stop the eating of rats to checkmate the outbreak.

Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, represented by Programme Officer, Health Social Care, Adaugo Ngwu, performed the launch of the campaign on Tuesday in Amachi Community, Abakaliki local government area of Ebonyi State.

A Nigeria Centre for Disease Control report had revealed that Ebonyi was among the states that reported new cases of the disease in week 11 of 2024.

The total number of new cases reported in that week was 35, and the total number of deaths reported from week 1 to 11 was 142 in the state.

The NCDC report explained that Lassa fever is a haemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, which is spread by the multimammate rat.

Also speaking, state Director of NOA in Ebonyi, Theophilus Nwokpor, noted that humans could be infected from direct contact with the urine and faeces of the rat which contained the virus.

Mr Nwokpor said, “This is the season when our people consume more rats, so there is need for enlightenment. We want to educate them to stop eating rats at all. So, the campaign for prevention is imperative to checkmate the outbreak. You know, our people eat rats.’’

Traditional ruler of the community, Boniface Nwokocha, commended NOA for bringing the campaign programme to the area.

Mr Nwokocha pledged support to the campaign and called on the people to desist from eating rats.

The resource person, Uchenna Unah, urged the residents to avoid contact with infectious persons and embrace personnel and environmental hygiene.

Management Committee on Works, Amachi Development Centre, Sunday Ogbaga, called for a rigorous campaign to tackle the spread of the disease not only in the area but the state at large.

A participant, Helen Nwibo.  said she would make good use of the teaching, especially at the grass-roots level.

(NAN)