Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported a significant outbreak of Lassa fever, with 70 deaths and 358 confirmed cases across 10 states since the beginning of the year.
According to the NCDC’s latest situation report, 75% of all confirmed cases were detected in Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states, while the remaining 25% were spread across seven other states.
The agency noted that Ondo recorded the highest number of cases, with 133 cases (37%), followed by Edo with 71 cases (20%), and Bauchi with 63 cases (18%).
The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, emphasized the primary modes of transmission, stating: “Lassa fever spreads through direct contact with urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats.
It can also be contracted from contaminated household items, surfaces, or food. Person-to-person transmission occurs through contact with bodily fluids from an infected individual.”
Dr. Idris urged the public to maintain strict hygiene practices, store food in rodent-proof containers, and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms occur.
Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic illness primarily transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected multimammate rats.
The virus can also spread from person to person through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. The NCDC highlighted that the most affected age group is between 21 and 30 years, with a male-to-female infection ratio of 1:0.8.
