Lassa fever has killed three persons in the last seven days, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
The deaths, which were from Ondo State, increased the number of fatalities recorded in the country since the beginning of the year to 168, with 889 confirmed cases reported from 25 states of the Federation.
The latest epidemiological report from the NCDC obtained by The Nation stated: “In week 32 (August 8 to 14), the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 13 in week 31, 2022 to 9 cases. These were reported from Ondo, Edo, and Enugu States (Table 3).
“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 32, 2022, 168 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 18.9 per cent which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2021 (23.4 per cent).
“In total for 2022, 25 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 101 Local Government Areas.
“Of all confirmed cases, 70 per cent are from Ondo (31 per cent), Edo (26 per cent), and Bauchi (13 per cent) states. The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years (Range: 0 to 90 years, Median Age: 30 years). The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8.
“The number of suspected cases has increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2021. No new healthcare worker affected in the reporting week 32.
“National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) continues to coordinate the response activities at all levels.”
To reduce the risk of the spread of Lassa fever, the NCDC offers the following advice: Ensure proper environmental sanitation – that is, keep your environment clean at all times, block all holes in your house to prevent rats from entering; Cover your dustbins and dispose of refuse properly. Communities should set up dumpsites very far from their homes to reduce the chances of having rodents within homes; Store foodstuff like rice, garri, beans, corn/maize, etc in containers that are well covered with tight-fitting lids.
Others are – Avoid drying foodstuffs outside on the floor, roadside where they will be exposed to contamination; Avoid bush burning which can lead to the displacement of rats from bushes to human dwellings; Eliminate rats in homes and communities by setting rat traps and other means; Practice good personal hygiene by frequent washing hands with soap under running water or use of hand sanitisers when appropriate, and visit the nearest health facility if you notice any of the signs and symptoms of Lassa fever as mentioned earlier, and avoid self-medication.
