According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), seven more cases of Lassa fever from the states of Edo, Bauchi, and Kogi have been reported.
The seven cases were reported between July 22 and July 28, the NCDC added in a statement posted on its official website on Friday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), contact with food or household items contaminated by rodents or humans carrying the virus can cause Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic sickness characterised by heavy bleeding.
Fever, headache, sore throat, weakness throughout the body, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle aches, chest pain, and, in more severe cases, inexplicable bleeding from the mouth, nose, ears, and other openings in the body are some of its symptoms.
According to the NCDC, during the time under consideration, there were no recorded deaths in Edo, two in Bauchi, and one in Kogi.
Nevertheless, 163 deaths were reported in 2024, resulting in a lower Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 17.0 percent than the 17.3 percent recorded in 2023 for the same time.
According to the public health agency, 34% of cases reported from 25 states in 2024 were confirmed, with 66% of cases coming from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi.
“In total for 2024, 28 states recorded at least one confirmed case of Lassa fever across 125 local government areas,” it noted.
The organisation cited a few obstacles in the fight against Lassa fever, such as clinical handling of the illness and late case presentation that raises CFR and poor health-seeking behaviour because of expensive treatment costs.
Other factors include low awareness in populations and unsanitary environmental conditions seen in high-burden areas.
The centre reported that no health worker was afflicted, despite the fact that people between the ages of 31 and 40 were the group most affected during the reporting period.
It clarified that the spike brought attention to the mounting worries and the requirement for increased monitoring and preventative actions across the nation.
The public health organisation asked people to follow safety guidelines and notify local health authorities of any symptoms as soon as possible.
In an effort to stop the disease’s spread, the NCDC said it was also stepping up its efforts to identify contacts and put control measures in place.
In order to guarantee a coordinated response, the agency said it will keep a careful eye on the situation and collaborate with state health authorities.
“The National Lassa Fever Multi-partner, Multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) will also continue to coordinate responses at all levels,” it added.
