Gom Mirian
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that there are now over 1,068 registered cases of Lassa fever across Nigeria.
According to the centre, on Tuesday, the cases have been recorded in 112 local government areas across 28 states of the federation. It also indicated that 75 per cent of the cases were detected in Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi States.
Releasing its latest situation report for week 37 (September 11-17, 2023), NCDC noted that the number of Lassa fever infections has been on the rise in recent weeks.
Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever that is transmitted via contact with food or household items contaminated with the urine, faeces, or saliva of infected rodents. The disease has become endemic in Nigeria, with annual outbreaks occurring in different parts of the country.
The report further shows that there are currently 7,352 individuals with suspected cases and the infection has resulted in the unfortunate loss of at least 181 lives in the country.
The centre said that the case-fatality ratio of the infection stood at 16.9 per cent.
“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 37, 2023, 181 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate of 16.9 per cent which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2022 (19.1 per cent).
“In total for 2023, 28 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 112 local government areas.
“Seventy-five per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from these three states (Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi) while 25 per cent were reported from 25 states with confirmed Lassa fever cases.
“The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years (Range: 1 to 93 years, Median Age: 32 years).
“The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.9. The number of suspected cases increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2022,” it said.
