In 11 weeks, Lassa Fever claims 142 lives.
[rafflepress id=”1″]
142 people have died from Lassa fever in Nigeria so far this year, according to the NCDC, the country’s center for disease control and prevention.
The NCDC stated in its eleventh-week Lassa fever situation report that a total of 784 confirmed cases had been reported from 23 states and 97 local government areas since the year’s beginning.
3,826 suspected instances in all were noted between January and March 19, 2023.
The public health institution observed that with the current mortality toll, the outbreak’s case-fatality ratio was 18.1%.
The majority of those infected in the nation were between the ages of 21 and 30, and the ratio of confirmed cases between men and women was 10:9.
The Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses, is said to be the cause of Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic sickness, according to the World Health Organization. The most common way for humans to contract the Lassa virus is through contact with food or household items that have been tainted by the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats. In some regions of West Africa, the disease is endemic among the rodent population.
There are eight West African nations where Lassa fever is known to be endemic: Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria.
According to the study, there were 38 new confirmed cases in week 11 as opposed to 70 in week 10 of 2023. States in Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Taraba, Benue, Rivers, Plateau, and Nasarawa reported these incidents.
“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 11, 2023, 142 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 18.1% which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2022 (18.7%).”
In total for 2023, 97 Local Government Areas in 23 States have at least one confirmed case.
“Seventy-one of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from these three states (Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi) while 29% were reported from 6 states with confirmed Lassa fever cases. Of the 71% confirmed cases, Ondo reported 32%, Edo 29%, and Bauchi 10%.”
One additional healthcare employee was impacted in reporting week 11, according to the report.
Comparing the published numbers for the same period in 2022 to the number of suspected cases shows an increase.
The Post ‘In 11 weeks, Lassa Fever claims 142 lives’ initially appeared on Tori
You may also like to read this
^ Brymo Speaks Out Following AFRIMA Loss
