Nigeria has recorded 40 new confirmed cases of Lassa fever and five deaths in a one-week period spanning from 27 February to 5 March, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed. The latest situation report, published on Tuesday on the NCDC’s website for week nine, indicated a decrease in new cases from 59 in week eight to 40 cases.
The report showed that the new cases were recorded in Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Ebonyi states. The NCDC revealed that since the beginning of the year, 109 deaths have been reported, with a case fatality rate of 16.1%, which is lower than the rate for the same period in 2022 (18.6%).
At least one confirmed case of the disease has been reported in 22 states across 89 Local Government Areas, with 72% of all confirmed cases reported in three states: Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi. The NCDC stated that 33% of all confirmed cases came from Ondo State, while Edo and Bauchi accounted for 29% and 10% of cases, respectively.
The disease control centre further noted that the number of suspected cases increased compared to the same period in 2022, adding that one new healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness that is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or contaminated persons. Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains, chest pain, and, in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings.
The NCDC added in the report that challenges with the response to Lassa fever in the country include late presentation of cases leading to an increase in CFR, poor health-seeking behavior due to the high cost of treatment and clinical management of the infection, poor environmental sanitation conditions, and poor awareness observed in high-burden communities.
The NCDC further disclosed that between 27 February and 5 March, 16 local government areas across five states reported new cases. The states are Ondo, with 11 cases; Edo, with 16 cases; Bauchi, with five cases; Taraba, with five cases; and Ebonyi, with three cases. Two deaths were reported in Ondo State, one in Bauchi, and two in Ebonyi State.
The report indicated that the predominant age group affected by Lassa fever was between 21 and 30 years, with a median age of 32 years. It also noted that the male-to-female ratio for cases was 1:0.8. The NCDC revealed that the national Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre had been activated to coordinate response activities.
The NCDC’s report showed that the country has so far recorded 676 cases of Lassa fever in nine weeks. The agency stated that Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states accounted for 72% of all reported cases, with Ondo having the highest number of confirmed cases.