Nigeria's economic hub Lagos State will commence the killing of rats as a way of curbing the spread of Lassa fever virus, authorities said on Thursday.

The aim is to ensure that rodents, especially mammalian rats which spread the deadly virus and other vector-borne diseases, are completely eliminated from the country's most populous city, Oluwasegun Benson, coordinator of the Lagos State Vector Control Program told reporters.

The exercise will kick off next month, he said. The program is expected to cover 465 markets and public places in the nation's southwestern state.

Benson said the state government has taken delivery of the equipment to be used for the exercise.

According to him, the exercise would take place at night "to lessen the distraction from the public and when the traffic would be light."

Lagos has a population of 17.5 million, according to the state government's data last October.

The government is looking at the possibility of also paying residents who are able to kill rats and make the dead rats available to the team handling the vector control program, the official added.

Lassa fever is usually transmitted to humans when they are exposed to food or water contaminated by the saliva and excreta of infected rats. In some cases, Lassa fever has similar symptoms with malaria.

Altogether, six people have died due to the spread of Lassa fever in the west African country since November.

The Nigerian government has mandated the National Center for Disease Control to investigate, prevent and control the possible outbreak of the disease.

More than 80 people were killed by a Lassa fever outbreak early last year in Nigeria.

source: Xinhua