Data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) show that Bauchi and Taraba States topped the Northern states with the cases of Lassa Fever in the first six weeks of 2024, starting from January 1 to February 11, 2024.
While Bauchi State has 73 confirmed cases of Lassa Fever with 17 deaths, Taraba State recorded 51 cases and 13 deaths. Both states are in the Northeastern region sharing a common border.
The cases have been reported across other northern states including Benue, Kogi, Plateau, and Nasarawa States.
The cumulative data from week 1 (January 1, 2024) to week 6 (February 11) of 2024 paints a grim picture, with a total of 72 reported deaths attributed to Lassa fever across the country, with the Northern States accounting for 39 deaths.
However, the majority of cases, accounting for 65%, have emerged from just three states: Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi.
Among these, Ondo reported 24% of cases, followed by Edo with 23%, and Bauchi with 18%.
The data showed that the number of new confirmed cases increased from 70 in epidemiological week 5 to 83 in epidemiological week 6 across 33 states and FCT.
The case fatality rate (CFR) stands at 17.5%, showing a marginal decrease compared to the same period in 2023, which recorded a CFR of 17.6%.
Cumulatively, in the first six weeks of 2024, NCDC recorded 2,122 cases as against the 828 recorded in 2023.
Lassa fever has cast a concern across the nation, with 21 states reporting at least one confirmed case across 78 local government areas.
WikkiTimes has earlier reported that NCDC had reported the deaths from suspected viral hemorrhagic fever at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic (excessive bleeding) illness that is transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or contaminated persons.
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.
