from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – THE death toll in Nigeria’s Lassa fever outbreak has risen to 183.
Indications are that the toll is higher as the figures released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention are for the beginning of January 2022 to the middle of December that year.
The previous toll was 176, as of the middle of November.
Statistics are of the first 50 weeks of the year.
The deaths for 2022 are almost double the 92 people that died from the disease in 2021.
The number of confirmed cases have more than doubled from 454 in 2021 to 1 038 in 2022.
In total for 2022, some 27 states (out of 36 and the Federal Capital Territory) have recorded at least one confirmed case across 111 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The previous year, the figures stood at 17 states and 66 LGAs respectively.
Of all confirmed cases this past year, 71 percent are from the states of Ondo (33 percent), Edo (25 percent) and Bauchi (13 percent).
The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years.
National Lassa fever multi-partner, the multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG), continues to coordinate the response activities at all levels.
Rodents spread Lassa fever.
Humans contract the virus via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent waste.
– CAJ News