NCDC: 13 Lassa fever cases, one death recorded in seven days

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 13 new cases of Lassa fever have been recorded in the country.

In its latest situation report, the NCDC said the cases were reported in Ondo, Edo and Bauchi states from August 1 to August 7.

According to the agency, from January till August 7, a total of 6,126 suspected cases were detected, of which 880 were confirmed to be positive.

The agency said one person succumbed to the disease during the reporting week.

“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 31, 2022, 165 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 18.8% which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2021 (23.1%),” the report reads.

The NCDC said 45 contact of positive cases are currently undergoing follow-up, adding that in total for 2022, 25 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 100 LGAs.

“Of all confirmed cases, 70% are from Ondo (31%), Edo (26%), and Bauchi (13%) States. The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years (Range: 0 to 90 years, Median Age: 30 years). The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8,” the report reads.

“The number of suspected cases has increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2021. No new Healthcare worker affected in the reporting week 31.”