As Covid-19 Rages NCDC Confirms 510 Cases of Lassa Fever, Warns Of Malaria Symptoms

In the midst of covid-19 pandemic which has claimed 3,077 lives in Nigeria, Lassa fever is also rearing its head across states in Nigeria , with 3 persons dead in one week.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in its latest advisory gave a fresh warning over Lassa fever in the country after confirming 4,654 suspected cases of Lassa fever have been recorded with 510 confirmed cases in 17 states.

The centre warned Nigerians of the possibilities of Lassa fever presenting malaria-like symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness and cough, among others.

According to the latest report, a total of 3 people have died from the disease between December 27,2020 to January 2, 2021, with a total of 28 cases.

A total of 102 deaths were recorded in 2021, which is lower than 244 recorded in 2020, while the number of confirmed cases reduced from 1,181 to 51 in 17 states as against 27 states in 2020.

The states affected include Edo (212), Ondo (175), Bauchi (39), Taraba (22), Ebonyi (18), Plateau (9), Benue (8), Kaduna (8), Enugu (5), Nasarawa (3), Kogi (3), FCT (3), Cross River (1), Imo (1), Anambra (1), Delta (1), and Abia (1).

Of all confirmed cases, 42% are from Edo while Ondo and Bauchi have 34% and 8%respectively.