The numbers of individuals whom got infected with lassa fever since the beginning of year 2019 has rose to two hundred and thirteen (213) this week, out of which 42 of them have died. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) declared the outbreak of the disease after sixty persons were confirmed to have contracted the disease from across the eight states in the first two weeks of January, 2019 alone.
Meanwhile, during the fourth week of January, another 77 new cases were reported from across 16 states where 11 of them died.
Four of those victims were health workers whom one amongst them contracted the disease as a result of working hazard as he came in contact with the disease patient. However, no death was recorded amongst the health workers so far.
The NCDC revealed that about 102 persons were hospitalised at designated centres mend for managing Lassa fever; 34 in Irrua, 40 in Owo, five in Bauchi, three in Taraba, six in Ebonyi, eight in Plateau and six more elsewhere.
Summarily, a total of 2,070 people were suspected to have had contact with those infected have been identified across eight states: 1,678 of them are been followed up; another 361 have completed the mandatory 21 days of quarantine to ensure they have not contracted the disease.
Meanwhile, out of 23 contacts that show symptoms similar to Lassa fever, 18 of them were tested positive for the disease.
