12 cases of Lassa fever detected in Nigeria in one week
It has been reported that 12 cases of Lassa fever were detected in one week in Nigeria, a West African country.
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In a statement made by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), it was stated that Lassa fever was seen in 12 people in one week.
The statement explained that the Lassa fever outbreak has spread to 124 areas across 28 states in the country.
The statement noted that the number of Lassa fever cases in the country has risen to 1,001 since January, and 179 people have lost their lives due to the outbreak.
The Nigerian government had announced that 3 drugs had been identified for the treatment of the disease.
In the Lassa fever outbreak, which increases every year during the dry season between November and May, 674 cases were detected last year, and 102 people lost their lives.
THE OUTBREAK WAS FIRST ENCOUNTERED IN BORNO STATE IN 1969
Lassa fever, which is seen in many African countries such as Mali, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, was first encountered in Nigeria in 1969 in the northeastern state of Borno.
The Nigerian government had declared a state of emergency due to Lassa fever on January 23, 2019.
The disease, which is transmitted through contact with rat feces, can pass from human to human and leads to fatal hemorrhagic fever.
Authorities warned the public not to come into contact with rats and other rodents.