Lassa Fever: Death Toll Hits 101

The Nigerian Center for Disease Control, NCDC has disclosed that about 101 people have died in 2018 due to Lassa fever disease.

In a situation report that was given by the health agency reveals that 408 cases of the disease had been confirmed from 20 states, where the disease has been active.

The states are Abia, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory, with Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi having the highest reported cases.

The NCDC epidemiological report for week 14 since the disease started, shows that 408 cases have been classified as confirmed and nine probable cases, including 101 deaths. There are also 4,480 contacts identified through contact tracing of people who had got in contact with confirmed cases, from the 20 Lassa fever active states.

This year, the country is witnessing the largest outbreak ever of the disease since it was first discovered in Nigeria in 1969. However, NCDC’s epidemiological chart for this week indicates that there has been a steady decline compared to when it started, though there are still pocket outbreaks across the country.