Lassa Fever: Alaba Suru Market shuts down to kill rats
Fri Jan 29, 2016 09:19:am National
3.5K By sosa hills
In an attempt to forestall the spread of Lassa fever,the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN), Lagos State chapter, stormed the Alaba Suru Market on Monday evening.The market was shut down to enable them get rid of rats in the Market which are main carriers of lassa fever virus
Speaking reporters, the Secretary of EHOAN, Ahoton Thona Jameson, said "it is no longer news that there is an outbreak of lassa fever and Lagos State happens to be one of the states where there is confirmed cases of the disease, in fact, death has occurred. We had two cases but one person has died; one is responding to treatment.
"It is through rat that the virus gets to man and it is found in the body fluid, urine, feces, that is why to stop the further spread of the fever, we have decided to take the battle to markets where people hardly take cognisance of rat. Because the traders don't sleep in the market, they fail to do what they do at home in the market.
So, that is why the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria, Lagos chapter has embarked on de-ratisation in selected markets in the whole Lagos."
He further explained that the rat species that causes Lassa fever is called Mastomys Natalensis, which he explained are found in the habitation of human beings.
"It is just like other rats but the only way to know which rat causes the fever is that this one has multi mammary gland in the abdomen about 16 of them. It is difficult to identify the rat, so what we do is to kill all rats, thereby eliminating the deadly "multimammate rats".
He explained that they also embarked on the exercise to ensure that the substance for the de-ratisation is not abused against the backdrop of calls advocating that Lagos residents should be given rat poisons to assist in killing the rats.
Speaking reporters, the Secretary of EHOAN, Ahoton Thona Jameson, said "it is no longer news that there is an outbreak of lassa fever and Lagos State happens to be one of the states where there is confirmed cases of the disease, in fact, death has occurred. We had two cases but one person has died; one is responding to treatment.
"It is through rat that the virus gets to man and it is found in the body fluid, urine, feces, that is why to stop the further spread of the fever, we have decided to take the battle to markets where people hardly take cognisance of rat. Because the traders don't sleep in the market, they fail to do what they do at home in the market.
So, that is why the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria, Lagos chapter has embarked on de-ratisation in selected markets in the whole Lagos."
He further explained that the rat species that causes Lassa fever is called Mastomys Natalensis, which he explained are found in the habitation of human beings.
"It is just like other rats but the only way to know which rat causes the fever is that this one has multi mammary gland in the abdomen about 16 of them. It is difficult to identify the rat, so what we do is to kill all rats, thereby eliminating the deadly "multimammate rats".
He explained that they also embarked on the exercise to ensure that the substance for the de-ratisation is not abused against the backdrop of calls advocating that Lagos residents should be given rat poisons to assist in killing the rats.
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