At least eighty people have died due to Lassa fever in Nigeria in 2021, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said.
The public health agency also said in its Lassa fever situation report that 434 cases of the disease were recorded in the country this year.
The states affected, according to the report, include Edo with 192 cases; Ondo, 150; Taraba, 21; Ebonyi , 17; Bauchi, 15; Benue, 8; Plateau, 8; Kaduna, 7; Enugu, 5; Nasarawa, 3; Kogi, 3; Cross River, 1; Imo, 1; Anambra, 1; Delta, 1; and Abia, 1 case.
The report said that 84 percent of all the cases recorded were from Edo, Ondo, and Taraba state, adding that Edo has 44%, Ondo 35%, and Taraba 5%.
“The predominant age-group affected is 21-30 years (Range: <1to70years, Median Age:29years). The male to female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8,” the report said.
It said the number of suspected cases has decreased compared to that reported for the same period in 2020.
