Lassa Fever: Death toll rises to 109 in Nigeria

With 676 confirmed cases dispersed throughout 89 local government districts in 22 states of Nigeria, Lassa fever has persisted there.

This was disclosed in the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's Lassa fever situation report for week nine, covering the period from January 5 to March 5, 2023.

According to the study, there have now been 109 fatalities as opposed to the earlier 104.

The public health institution observed that with the current mortality toll, the outbreak's case-fatality ratio was 16.1%.

According to the NCDC, 28% of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from two states, while 72% of cases were recorded from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi.

Ondo reported 33% of the 72% verified cases, Edo reported 29%, and Bauchi reported 10%.

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 feces 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 reports, the epidemic in Nigeria is fueled by poor environmental sanitation, a lack of awareness, and late case presentations.

“In week 9, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 59 in week 8 2023 to 40 cases. These were reported from Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Ebonyi States.

“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 9, 2023, 109 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 16.1 per cent which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2022 (18.6 per cent).

“The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years (Range: 1 to 93 years, Median Age: 32 years). The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 10.8.

“The number of suspected cases increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2022.

“One new Healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week nine,” the report read in part.