By Asmau Ahmad
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said 132 people have died of Lassa fever in the first quarter of year 2022.
This was contained in the NCDC weekly situation report on Lassa fever, which indicated that the latest Lassa fever report is for week 13, covering March 28 to April 3.
The NCDC also stated that the number of new confirmed cases reduced from 22 in week 12, to 10 cases.
It revealed that most of the new confirmed cases were recorded in Edo, Bauchi, Kaduna, Ondo, Kogi and Plateau.
NCDC stated that the number of alleged cases increased in comparison to the one reported for the same period in 2021.
“Cumulatively from week one to week 13, 2022, 132 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 19.1 per cent, which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2021 (21.0per cent).
“In total for 2022, 23 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 93 Local Government Areas.
“Of all confirmed cases, 67 per cent are from Ondo (28 per cent), Edo (24 per cent) and Bauchi (15 per cent) States.
“The predominant age-group affected is 21-30 years (Range: 1 to 80 years, Median Age: 30 years). The male to female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8.”
The report further indicated that no new healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week 13, while the agency mentioned that the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Emergency Coordination Centre has been activated to coordinate response activities at all levels.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “The current overall risk is considered high at the national level.
“While Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and the country has developed an increased capacity for the prevention and control of Lassa fever outbreaks, including strengthened surveillance, diagnostic and treatment capacity, several factors contribute to the current elevated risk level.
“The overall regional and global risk is considered low due to minimal cross-border transmission from Nigeria to neighbouring countries.
