LAGOS, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The governor of southeast Nigeria's Imo State, Rochas Okorocha Wednesday confirmed three died of Lassa fever and seven others were hospitalized.
The disease was discovered in one of the hospitals in Orlu area of the state, Okorocha told reporters in Owerri, the state capital.
He expressed deep worry over the disease and cautioned citizens against unhygienic habits and body contact.
The governor said if the spread of the disease continued, the government may ban public functions and rallies to save lives.
He said the identified hospitals had been isolated while the patients had been quarantined for a specific time in order to manage the situation.
Okorocha said he had sought the support of Federal Government on the issue through the Ministry of Finance and assured that the matter would be over soon.
Lassa fever is an acute and often fatal viral disease, occurring mainly in West Africa. It is usually transmitted by contact with the saliva or excreta of rats accessing homes and food stores. Enditem