Against the backdrop of a renewed outbreak of Lassa fever in the country, the transition Chairman of Odeda Local government, Hon. Semiu Bola Lawal, has directed all environmental health workers at local government levels to immediately embark on massive awareness campaigns in all markets aimed at controlling the spread.

Addressing the media on Monday, in Odeda headquater of the local government, the chairman while regretting the report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, that 195 cases have been confirmed with 29 deaths recorded in 11 states, said the local government health workers were directed to embark on massive awareness campaigns in all markets in the local government.

According to him, the health workers and the local government information department were tasked to create a fisible times table to enable them visit all markets in the local government.

The environmental health workers were equally empowered to visit all traditional rulers in the local government.

He advised people of the local government to imbibe good sanitation and hygiene practices and take preventive and control measures which he said, included “keeping the environment clean to avoid rodents; keeping food away from rodents; storing grains and other foodstuffs in rodents proof containers and disposing of wastes regularly and far away from homes. ”

Other measures, he said, were, “Cooking all foods thoroughly; blocking rat hideouts,deratization, washing of hands regularly with soap and running water as well as using protective equipment like masks, gloves, gowns among others in healthcare centres and when caring for the sick.”

“This sensitisation will be a continuous exercise and will be taken down to the communities, mosques, churches, markets, schools, motor parks, restaurants and to any place where there is the likelihood of large gathering,” he added