By Kazeem Akolawole
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has disclosed that Nigeria recorded no fewer than 148 Lassa fever deaths from 846 cases.
The NCDC in its Week 13 situation report on Thursday also disclosed that suspected cases have increased to 4,338 in which 148 deaths was recorded across the country.
The situation report showed that the predominant age group affected is 21 to 30 years and the male to female ratio for the confirmed cases is 10 ratio 9.
AHR reports that Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses.
Humans usually become infected with the Lassa virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats. The disease is endemic in the rodent populations in parts of West Africa.
In Nigeria, Lassa fever remains a major public health challenge as poor environmental sanitation, poor awareness, and late presentation of cases are reported to drive the epidemic in Nigeria.
NCDC maintained that the case-fatality ratio of the outbreak stood at 17.5 per cent with the current death toll.
The 23 new cases recorded from March 27 to April 2, 2023, were recorded from 7 states of Bauchi, Ondo, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Oyo and Kebbi States.
