ABUJA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) — Nigerian public health officials announced on Monday that the most populous African country recorded a minimum of 219 deaths from Lassa fever in 2023. The disease has impacted 121 out of the total 774 local government areas in the country.
According to a statement from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Nigeria reported 1,227 confirmed cases of the acute viral hemorrhagic illness across 28 out of the 36 states last year. The statement was obtained by Xinhua on Monday.
The latest data shows an increase in confirmed cases and deaths recorded in 2023 compared to 1,055 cases and 189 deaths recorded in 2022. The report also indicated that the case fatality rate in 2023 was 17.5 percent.
The total number of suspected cases reached 8,978, a significant rise from the 8,130 reported in 2022, according to the NCDC.
Lassa fever is a disease that spreads to humans through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or feces. It is reportedly transmitted when saliva, urine, and excreta of rats come into contact with humans.
In some cases, Lassa fever has similar symptoms to malaria, manifesting between one and three weeks after exposure to the virus. In mild cases, the disease causes fever, fatigue, weakness, and headache.
