By Muhammadu Sabiu
According to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, this year’s total number of Lassa fever deaths in Nigeria increased from 148 to 151.
The NCDC said in its 14th-week Lassa fever situation report that a total of 869 confirmed cases had been reported from 26 states and 101 local government units between January 1 and April 9, 2023.
The public health organisation noted that the outbreak’s case-fatality ratio was 17.4% as of the most recent death toll.
The Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses, is known to cause lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic disease.
The most common way for humans to contract the Lassa virus is through contact with food or household goods that have been tainted by the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats.
There are eight West African nations where lassa fever is known to be endemic: Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria.
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