New Lassa infections outstrip 2019 record outbreak
Some 10 people who tested positive for Lassa fever died in the third week of January, bringing the total number of people killed in the latest outbreak to 14 this year, according to data released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). In the same period, the 10 dead were among a total 81 […]
FILE PHOTO: Lassa fever Infection, prevention and control measures at FETHA, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State
Some 10 people who tested positive for Lassa fever died in the third week of January, bringing the total number of people killed in the latest outbreak to 14 this year, according to data released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
In the same period, the 10 dead were among a total 81 people who have been confirmed by laboratory testing to have Lassa fever, up from 64 in the first week of January.
A total 159 people were suspected to have Lassa fever, but 78 tested negative within the week.
The outbreak so far has spread to 17 council areas across six states—Ondo, Edo, Delta, Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi.
They raise the total number of affected locations to nine states and 32 council areas.
The latest outbreak exceeds last year’s epidemic in number of people suspected and confirmed positive for Lassa fever.
A total 398 people are suspected for Lassa fever since the start of January, compared with 379 people the same period in 2019. While 235 turned out to be negative this year, 237 tested negative same period last year.
But a total 163 people so far have tested positive this year, compared with 141 who tested positive in the first three weeks of January 2019.
But only 24 people among those confirmed positive have died this year, compared with 33 in the same period last year.