The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday that Lassa fever has killed at least 162 people since the beginning of the year 2023.
The death toll from the deadly disease is claimed to have been reported in 28 states. They are, among others, Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Ebonyi, Nassarawa, Kogi, Taraba, Gombe, Enugu, Kano, Jigawa, Oyo, and FCT.
Prior to this, the NCDC stated in its 16th-week Lassa fever situation report that 897 confirmed cases were documented from 26 states and 103 local government units between January 1 and April 23, 2023.
The Centre announced this on Thursday, June 2, 2023, in its 20th-week Lassa fever situation report, which was released on Twitter (@NCDCgov), noting that 944 confirmed cases and 5,593 probable cases of the disease have been registered since January 2023.
“Cumulatively, from week 1 to week 20, 2023, 162 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate of 17.2%, which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2022 (19.8%).
“In total, for 2023, 28 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 106 LGAs,” the centre’s 20th-week report read.
It further stated that “the number of suspected cases increased, compared to that reported for the same period in 2022.”
