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More hits as Lassa fever has continued to spread in Nigeria with 400 confirmed cases and 142 deaths in 20 states according to latest figures released yesterday by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
According to the agency, following the increasing number of Lassa fever cases in the reporting week 14, six new confirmed cases were recorded from five States with two new healthcare workers were affected with one death and twenty-five health care workers have been affected since the onset of the outbreak in eight states.
“From 1st January to 1st April 2018, a total of 1706 suspected cases and 142 deaths have been reported actively in Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Imo, Plateau, Lagos, Taraba, Delta, Osun, Rivers, FCT, Gombe, Ekiti, Kaduna and Abia makig twenty states at least one confirmed case across 57 Local Government Areas,”
“This year 81 per cent of all confirmed cases are from Edo (42%) Ondo (23%) and Ebonyi (16%) states” say the report.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness, transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents. Person-to-person transmission can also occur, particularly in hospital environment in the absence of adequate infection control measures.
The agency further stated that since the onset of the 2018, 4,274 contacts have been identified from 20 states and of these, 662 (15.0 per cent) are currently being followed up, 3,605 (84.8 per cent) have completed 21 days follow up while 7(0.2 per cent) were lost in follow up. 27 (40 per cent) of the 67 contacts have tested positive in five states (Edo-12, Ondo- seven, Ebonyi- three, Kogi -3 and Bauchi -one).
“World Health Organisation (WHO) and NCDC have scaled up response at national and state levels,” it added.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH
