Nigeria has recorded seven new confirmed cases of Lassa fever, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed cases in 2024 to 918, with 162 deaths. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) revealed this in its latest situation report for week 24 of 2024, spanning from June 10th to 16th. While no new deaths were recorded from Lassa fever during this reporting week, the NCDC noted that the case fatality rate for Lassa fever this year stands at 17.6 percent, higher than the 17.1 percent recorded for the same period in 2023.
The NCDC reported that 66 percent of all confirmed cases in 2024 were from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states, with the remaining 34 percent reported from 25 other states. In total, 28 states have recorded at least one confirmed case of Lassa fever across 125 Local Government Areas.
In addition, the country is facing a cholera outbreak. The NCDC has activated the National Cholera Multi-Sectoral Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate the response. As of June 24th, 53 lives have been claimed and over 1,500 suspected cases recorded across 107 Local Government Areas in 31 states. The Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, stated that an expert risk assessment placed Nigeria at high risk for increased cholera transmission.
The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, advised Nigerians to avoid locally made drinks such as kunu, zobo, and fura to prevent the spread of cholera. He emphasized the importance of washing hands regularly with soap under running water.
Cholera is a food and waterborne disease caused by ingestion of the organism Vibrio cholera in contaminated water and food, while Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents.
0
0
