NCDC Confirms Death Of 242 People

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says a total of 242 persons have lost their lives to Lassa fever in 2020.

Ekohotblog understands that the number is higher than the 170-casualty figure recorded in 2019.

The highlights of the report read, “In Week 51, the number of new confirmed cases increased from five in Week 50 to 12 cases. These were reported from two states; Edo and Ondo.”

Lassa fever is known as a disease contacted through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.

The disease which is circulated amidst West African country is said to have emanated from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria in 1969.

Read Also: Lassa Fever Deadlier Than COVID-19 – Ondo Health Commissioner

From the NCDC’s report, Nigeria has so far recorded 1,175 confirmed cases of the disease in 2020 as against the 817 confirmed cases recorded in 2019.

The cases were recorded in 27 out of the nation’s 36 states and 130 local government areas out of the country’s 774.

In 2019, the cases were recorded in 23 states and 86 local governments.

The case-fatality ratio for 2020 was put at 20.6 per cent while that of 2019 was 20.8 per cent.