Lassa fever claims 13 lives in Nigeria

Health authorities in northern Nigeria say that Lassa fever has killed 13 people since it was first diagnosed in Taraba state a week ago. The deaths were reported mostly at the Federal Medical Center in Jalingo, which was forced to close some of its units after the outbreak. Mustapha Hamman-Gabdo, the state commissioner for health, said some people admitted to the center for different ailments later were diagnosed with Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus and transmitted primarily though contact with rats' excreta. Innocent Vakai, the state epidemiologist, said the outbreak apparently started in Mayo-Ranewo village in Ardo-Kola and spread after a villager was brought to the center for treatment. Vakai advised people to keep their environment clean and ensure that their food was not contaminated by rats. Enditem 1st LD: Armed groups blast oil pipeline in central Syria DAMASCUS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- "Armed terrorist" groups blasted Wednesday an oil pipeline in Syria's central Homs province which provided diesel fuel for the capital Damascus and the southern region, state-run SANA news agency reported. The pipeline was blasted at 3.00 a.m. (0100 GMT) Wednesday in an area between restive Baba Amr and Sultania neighborhoods in Homs, said SANA, adding that the oil pipeline with a 12-inch diameter fed the Adra tankers. On the opposition side, an activist group was cited by Arab TV stations as saying that the explosion occurred due to the shelling of the Syrian army on Baba Amr neighborhood. At least seven pipelines have been targeted since the eruption of unrest in Syria in mid March 2011. Syria held what it called " saboteurs" responsible for the attacks. Homs, Syria's third largest city and home to more than 800,000 people, has witnessed severe clashes between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and militia groups allegedly comprising of Syrian army defectors. The region is considered one of Syria's most volatile areas, as the daily grind of violence stocked fears that the area is sliding toward a civil war. Earlier in January, Syrian Oil Minister Sufian Allaw said that the terrorist acts carried out by armed groups against oil pipelines and other oil institutions, in addition to the EU sanctions, have badly damaged Syria's oil sector.