Lassa fever death toll hits 75, 25 new cases recorded 


The death toll from the ongoing Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has risen to 75, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported.

NCDC in its situation report on the disease released on Friday said 25 new cases of the disease were confirmed and six new deaths reported between February 11 and 17.

The report for week seven stated that the new cases were reported from eight states. These are Edo -6, Ondo -2, Ebonyi -1, Plateau -2, Taraba -4, Bauchi -8, Kogi -1 and Kebbi -1.

Six new deaths were also reported in Ondo -3, Bauchi -2 and Kogi -1.

So far, 20 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 57 local government areas.

These states are Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, FCT, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo and Kebbi.

On January 21, NCDC declared an outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria following an increase in the number of cases.

The Chief Executive Officer, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said from January 1 to February 17, a total of 1139 suspected cases were reported from 19 states and the FCT.

“Of these, 355 were confirmed positive, 3 probable and 781 negative (not a case). However, 1168 suspected cases have been reported from 30 states and FCT,” he said.

The 75 deaths reported in 2019 put the case fatality ratio in confirmed cases at 21.1 per cent.

This represents a significant increase in the number of cases reported, compared to the same period in 2018.

NCDC said it had intensified its surveillance of the disease by deploying a
multi-sectoral one health national rapid response teams (NCDC, NFELTP, Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Federal Ministry of Environment) to Ondo, Edo and Ebonyi states.

The three states recorded the highest number of affect people since the outbreak. (NAN)

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