Forty people have died in Nigeria in a suspected outbreak of Lassa fever in 10 states across the country, Health Minister Isaac Adewole said Friday.
“The total number (of suspected cases) reported is 86 and 40 deaths, with a mortality rate of 43.2 percent,” Adewole told a news conference in the capital, Abuja.
The minister said that so far, laboratory tests have confirmed that 22 of the 86 suspected cases were Lassa fever and results were expected on the remainder.
Seven of the affected states are in the north — Bauchi, Nasarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Plateau and Gombe — while the remaining three are in the south — Rivers, Edo and Oyo — he added.
The first case of the disease was recorded last November in Bauchi state. Cases were then reported in Kano and elsewhere.
According to the WHO, Lassa fever is an acute haemorrhagic illness which belongs to the arenarvirus family of viruses, which also includes the Ebola-like Marburg virus.
People with Lassa fever do not display symptoms in 80 percent of cases but it can cause serious symptoms and death in the remainder.
The virus, which is endemic in rodents in west Africa, is transmitted to humans by contact with food or household items contaminated with the animals’ faeces and urine.
Person-to-person contact is also possible through bodily fluids, particularly in hospitals when adequate infection control measures are not taken.
The number of Lassa fever infections in west Africa every year is between 100,000 to 300,000, with about 5,000 deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Adewole said recorded cases of Lassa fever in Nigeria peaked in 2012 at 1,723 with 112 fatalities but rates have declined since then.
In the latest outbreak, the minister said “most of the cases that we recorded are not through person-to-person contact” but the number of deaths was “unusual”.
He expressed concern about disease notification systems, particularly in Niger state, where “unusual” deaths in August were not reported for up to four months.
Authorities in Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city of more than 20 million people, on Thursday alerted residents on the need to observe proper hygiene to curb the spread of the disease.
Lagos state, in the southwest, is some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Oyo state, where suspected cases have been reported.

Source: www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/lassa-fever-kills-forty-in-ten-states-health-minister/

Nigerian health sector and environmental issues! These are problems affecting the common man directly and people are here extolling the wonders of a government that cannot get budget right! When will good governance trickle down to the electorate that voted these politicians into power?

That should be the question on the lips of sensible Nigerians and not the vain rhetoric of fighting corruption only designed to massage some egos or standing shamelessly with one who will travel for check up over headache at our expense!

What are the returns from so called returned loot? What is d positive effect in Nigeria?

This is becoming very serious...



The masses need to be alerted on the causes/Symptoms of Lassa fever.

We don't need another Ebola like case abeg! cc Lalasticlala

Do we have a health minister; I am perplexed on why this news about Lassa Fever and ways of preventing it hasn't been vigorously pushed since November when it was first recorded.

Southeast is the only region not affected. RIP to the dead.

Gosh! I fear any hemorrhagic disease...........pls let's not eat warefa rats or any rodent has eaten.....those guys are bastards

Hmmmn, This lassa fever thing is becoming something else. Let's be vigilant and take rats seriously for they are the primary vectors, let's find all means to get rid of them in our homes..


In olamide's word... From malaria to ebola to lassa fever. Rats has taken over, but we can get rid of it just like we did with ebola

This is serious

When you watch tom and jerry...you won't know rats are harmful..
Infact you'll think tom is the bad guy and support jerry....

God.....I pray they are able to contain this epidemic fast...
I heard they have the largest lassa fever research centre in ekpoma after the epidemic some years back....
they should act fast before more lives are lost...R.I.P to the dead..

On another note...asides ebola..is there any epidemic that has hit lagos real hard...e.g cholera and the likes..? Can't seem to remember any...

Bird flu came, we conquered!

Brutal Ebola came, we conquered!

Lassa Fever, too, will be conquered!

Pls, let us be more careful. God help us.

Rip to the dead. God save us from untimely death

I believe it will be contained..

Please what's the cause?

Na rat dey cause all these things o

River state na south east naa

kirchofff:
H

Shehucom:
B

Aviero:
hmm

demarc001:
Eiya

Smartsyn:
Hmmm

Una lives no get joy

why is it always west africa? may God save us from these end time diseases

Aviero:
Bird flu came, we conquered!

Brutal Ebola came, we conquered!

Lassa Fever, too, will be conquered!

Pls, let us be more careful. God help us.

I almost forgot we once had a bird flu epidemic

KingTom:






Una lives no get joy

Na that lack of joy make u busy body in other men's matter. Iranu

Etizz:
Please what's the cause?

if you really read the post from the beginning to the end, you would definitely know the cause but you've decided not to walk through the post but to fly over it

betterABIAstate:
Southeast is the only region not affected. RIP to the dead.

We don't rear rodent, so the spread of the virus can't be possible. And more so cleanliness maters and u can find more of that there. I rest my case.

KingTom:





Una lives no get joy

werey

KingTom:
Na rat dey cause all these things o

Imagine o.

kirchofff:
werey

condralbede:
Imagine o.

we have to be very careful with those vermin, sanitation should be the key factor now, make the minister yarn them o

KingTom:






Una lives no get joy

I gat joy like a river

betterABIAstate:
Southeast is the only region not affected. RIP to the dead.

can't you make a reasonable comment? y display ur low self esteem online

what is SE is not affected... what If?

Smartsyn:
I gat joy like a river

Aviero:
Bird flu came, we conquered!

Brutal Ebola came, we conquered!

Lassa Fever, too, will be conquered!

Pls, let us be more careful. God help us.

what about those that they killed