The number of deaths from Lassa fever in Nigeria has reached 185 this year, according to a recent report from health authorities. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) stated that the outbreak continues to spread across various regions of the country, particularly affecting the capital, Abuja, and 102 districts in 21 states.
Since the beginning of the year, 1,012 cases of Lassa fever have been recorded, with the death toll rising to 185. The NCDC specified that the age group most affected by the disease is between 21 and 30 years, with men being more frequently impacted than women. Nigerian health authorities have urgently called on the public to avoid contact with rodents in an effort to curb the spread of the disease.
The current outbreak follows a concerning trend compared to last year, when 190 deaths were reported nationwide. In response to the continued spread of the disease, the Nigerian government declared a public health emergency in January 2019.
Lassa fever, which presents as a potentially fatal hemorrhagic fever, is primarily transmitted through contact with rodent excreta but can also spread from person to person.
First identified in 1969 in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, the disease not only affects Nigeria but has also been reported in several other West African countries, including Mali, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Nigeria: Lassa Fever claims 185 lives in 2024
