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Abuja has recorded its first case of Lassa fever after one person was said to have died from the disease on Wednesday, taking the total death toll in the country to 43.
A statement from the Ministry of Health said the 33-year-old victim died in the National Hospital in central Abuja, a day after being transferred from a private medical centre in the suburb of Kubwa.
The victim from the central city of Jos had recently married and been in Kubwa to visit family, he added.
“The minister has directed that all primary and secondary contacts of the victim should be tracked”, including healthcare staff, and vigilance increased, the statement said.
“The latest death from Lassa fever brings the total number of deaths to 43 in the country from 10 states.”
Adewole first announced the suspected outbreak last Friday, despite the first case of the disease being recorded in November in the northeastern state of Bauchi.
Seven of the affected states are in the north, with three others in the south.