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Lassa Fever: Nigeria indicates 40 new infections and five deaths.
Lassa Fever: Nigeria indicates 40 new infections and five deaths.
NCDC reports that 89 Local Government Areas in 22 states have at least one confirmed case.
NewsReport gathered theat Nigeria reported 40 new cases of Lassa fever and five fatalities in a single week, from February 27 to March 5.
In its most recent situation report for week nine, which was published on its website on Tuesday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made this disclosure. It noted that the number of new confirmed cases dropped from 59 in week eight to 40 cases.
The report showed that the new cases were reported from Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Ebonyi states.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) disclosed this in its latest situation report published Tuesday on its website for week nine, noting that the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 59 in week eight to 40 cases.
The report showed that the new cases were reported from Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Ebonyi states.
NCDC noted that cumulatively from week one to week nine, 109 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 16.1 percent, which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2022 (18.6 percent).
According to the NCDC, 22 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 89 local government areas, with 72 percent of all confirmed cases reported from the three states of Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi.
The disease control center noted that Ondo State has so far accounted for 33 percent of all confirmed cases, while Edo and Bauchi accounted for 29 and 10 percent, respectively.
It also maintained that the number of suspected cases increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2022, adding that one new healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week.
Lassa fever
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic (excessive bleeding) illness that is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or contaminated persons.
Fever, headache, sore throat, generalized body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains, chest pain, and, in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings are among its symptoms.
The NCDC added in the report that the challenges with response to Lassa fever in the country include late presentation of cases leading to an increase in CFR, poor health-seeking behavior due to the high cost of treatment and clinical management of the infection, poor environmental sanitation conditions, and poor awareness observed in high-burden communities.
