Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo said on Wednesday three persons had died of Lassa fever while seven others were hospitalised.
Okorocha told journalists in Owerri that the disease was discovered in one of the hospitals in Orlu Local Government area of the state.
He expressed deep worry over the disease and the cautioned citizens against unhygienic habits and body contact.
“This morning, we woke up to hear from relevant agencies that Lassa fever has killed three people while seven others are hospitalised.
“This number is too large for a state and we are very concerned over the speed of spread of the disease in Orlu and other parts of the state.
“You are aware that the major cause of this disease is a particular kind of rat and we must take adequate measures to stop rats from having direct contact with consumable goods.
“The state Ministry of Health has been properly informed and directed to do everything possible to manage the situation,” he said.
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 sorted for the support of Federal Government on the issue through the Ministry of Finance and assured that the matter would be over soon.
