Nigeria Records 784 Confirmed Cases Of Lassa Fever

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says in less than three months, the country has registered 784 confirmed cases of Lassa fever with 142 deaths across 23 states.

The NCDC via its official website said on Tuesday that the infections were recorded from January 1 till date.

Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus.

The virus can spread through contact with objects, household items and surfaces contaminated with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats.

It said that in Epidemiological Week 11, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 70 in Week 10 of 2023, to 38 cases.

The agency said that the cases were reported from Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Taraba, Benue, Rivers, Plateau, and Nasarawa States.

NCDC said that cumulatively from Epidemiological Week 1 to Week 11, 2023, 142 deaths had been reported with Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 18.1 per cent which was lower than the 18.7 per cent CFR for the same period in 2022.

The NCDC said that, in total for 2023, 23 states had recorded at least one confirmed case across 97 local government areas.

The public health institution said that 71 per cent of all new confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from Ondo, Edo and Bauchi while 29 per cent came from six states.

It added that out of the 71 per cent, Ondo reported 32 per cent, Edo, 29 and Bauchi, 10.