Two medical doctors and the district head of Toro and 13 others have died of Lassa fever in Bauchi State.
The State Surveillance Support Officer, Dr Suleiman Lawal, disclosed this at the Lassa fever camp at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi on Tuesday.
The 16 deaths were recorded this year, he said.
Lawal said that a total of 43 confirmed cases had been recorded in the state since January 2020.
He said most of the deaths were as a result of late reporting and appealed to people to always come to the health facility on time.
He said the state received assistance from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children Endowment Fund (UNICEF) in its efforts at reducing the scourge of the disease to the barest minimum.
Lawal appealed to well-meaning members of the public to support in the fight against Lassa fever. He said there are seven pillars that will help in managing the epidemic which he said are: education, communication, risk communication, surveillance, case management, laboratory confirmation and prevention and control.