The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said no fewer than 2,122 suspected cases, 411 confirmed cases, and 72 deaths have been recorded from Lassa fever in Nigeria this year as of February 11, 2024.
The confirmed cases were recorded from 21 states and 78 local government areas in the country.
The NCDC disclosed this in its Lassa fever situation report for Week Six, which was posted on its website on Thursday.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus.
The natural reservoir for the virus is the Mastomys natalensis rodent (commonly known as the multimammate rat or the African rat).
Other rodents can also be carriers of the virus.
The virus spreads through direct contact with the urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats; contact with objects, household items, and surfaces contaminated with the urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats; consuming food or water contaminated with the urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats; the person-to-person transmission can also occur through direct contact with blood, urine, faeces, vomitus, and other body fluids of an infected person.
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