Out of 4,108 suspected cases, no less than 823 confirmed cases of Lassa fever were reported from 98 local government areas in 24 states in Nigeria.
This is supported by the epidemiological report on Lassa fever for week 12 that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention released on Thursday.
According to the Lassa fever report from January to March 26, 2023, 144 people died from the illness, with a case fatality ratio of 17.5%.
According to reports, 38 healthcare employees have been affected so far this year.
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.
“In week 12, the number of new confirmed cases increased from 38 in week 11 2023 to 39 cases. These were reported from Bauchi, Ondo, Edo, Taraba, Kaduna, and Kogi States.
“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 12, 2023, 144 deaths have been reported with a CFR of 17.5% which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2022 (18.6%).
“In total for 2023, 24 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 98 Local Government Areas,” the report read in part.
It also said 72 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from these Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states while 28 per cent were reported from three states with confirmed Lassa fever cases.
Of the 72 per cent confirmed cases, Ondo reported 32 per cent, Edo 29 per cent, and Bauchi 11 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 1:0.9.
The number of suspected cases increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2022.
