The balance sheet of the Lassa fever epidemic in Nigeria has increased to 127 people dead, public health authorities announced on Tuesday.
A total of 674 confirmed cases were recorded on the 4,025 suspected cases reported since the start of the epidemic in January, the Nigerian Center for disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in a press release.
Eighteen of the 36 states of the most populous African country have been affected by viral hemorrhagic disease since the beginning of the year, the southern states of Ondo and Edo and the northern state of Bauchi being the most affected, with more than 70% of the total confirmed cases, said the NCDC.
The NCDC estimates the lethality rate at 18.8%, a little more than the 18.5% recorded at the same period of 2024.
-Young adults aged 21 to 30 are the most affected, the median age of infection being 30 years, according to the public health agency. She notes that men are more numerous than women to be affected, with a report of 10 men for 8 women.
The NCDC has identified as major challenges mediocre behaviors in terms of health care research, high treatment costs in certain regions and limited awareness in the most affected communities. It has activated a multisectoral incident management system to coordinate response efforts at the national level.
In 2024, Nigeria recorded 214 deaths due to Lassa fever, according to the NCDC. Lassa fever is mainly spread through food or household items contaminated by urine or rodent excrement. Human transmission is made by direct contact with saliva, urine or rodent excrement.
(APS)
