185 people die from Lassa fever as Nigeria records 951 cases in 2020

A total of 185 people have died of Lassa fever with 951 cases confirmed in the country since the beginning of the year 2020.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) revealed this in its latest situation report on the disease for week 13 posted on its Twitter handle on Thursday.

It noted that the number of new cases confirmed decreased from 28 cases in week 12 to 19 cases in the reporting week.

According to the agency, the new cases were reported in eight states of Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Taraba, Plateau, Kogi, and Delta.

It added that one new death from Lassa fever was reported in week 13 while the predominant age-group affected was 21-30 years.

Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever, is endemic in some parts of West Africa and is usually passed on through food contaminated with infected rat urine or faeces.

In 80 per cent of cases, the fever is asymptomatic but for some, the symptoms include high fever, headache, mouth ulcers, muscle aches, hemorrhaging under the skin and heart and kidney failure.

It has an incubation period of between six and 21 days and can be transmitted through contact with an infected person via bodily fluids and excretion.