The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), said it has recorded 14 new confirmed cases with one death following the outbreak of Lassa Fever in ondo, Edo and Bauchi states. Dr Jide Idris, Director General, NCDC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Abuja. NAN reports that Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic caused by the Lassa virus, which is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated with the rodent carrier’s urine or faeces.
The disease is endemic in Nigeria, with sporadic outbreaks occurring primarily during the dry season. Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, chest pain, and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings. Idris said that cases were recorded in the three states between May 6 and May 12 this year, adding that people between the ages of 31 to 40, were predominantly affected by the disease.
He said that 28 states out of the 36 states have recorded at least one confirmed case spread across 125 local government areas in 2024. “The 64 per cent of all the confirmed cases were from the three states of Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi while 36 per cent was reported from 25 states. “Of the 64 per cent of these confirmed cases, Ondo accounted for 25 per cent, Edo 22 per cent, and Bauchi 17 per cent,’’ he said.
The agency said that the Na.
