At least 72 people have died and 2,845 people at risk are being monitored
"Many people will seek treatment in health facilities that are not appropriately prepared," official says
(CNN) Nigeria is facing its worst Lassa fever outbreak on record, with 72 people confirmed to be dead from the virus and 317 infected, according to the World Health Organization.

A further 764 are suspected to be infected, and 2,845 contacts have been identified.

On average, Lassa fever is deadly in 1% of all individuals infected, with higher rates of 15% morbidity among people hospitalized for the illness. As of Sunday, the case fatality ratio was 22%, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.


Although it's endemic to the country, Lassa fever numbers have never reached this proportion before, according to the WHO.

Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control said Wednesday that it was facing an "unprecedented outbreak" that has spread to 18 states since it began in January.

The disease can cause fever and hemorrhaging of various parts of the body -- including the eyes and nose -- and can be spread through contact with an infected rat.

Person-to-person transmission is low but has been seen in Nigerian hospital settings this year. Fourteen health workers were infected, of whom four died within eight weeks.

The WHO said Wednesday that health facilities were overstretched in the southern states of Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi, and it is working with national reference hospitals and the Alliance for International Medical Action to rapidly expand and better equip treatment centers.

It also hopes to reduce further infections to hospital staff.

"The ability to rapidly detect cases of infection in the community and refer them early for treatment improves patients' chances of survival and is critical to this response," said Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, the WHO representative to Nigeria.

State health authorities are mobilizing doctors and nurses to work in treatment centers. Four UK researchers have also been deployed to Nigeria to help control the unusually large outbreak.

"Given the large number of states affected, many people will seek treatment in health facilities that are not appropriately prepared to care for Lassa fever," Alemu said.

"The risk of infection to health care workers is likely to increase."

Lassa fever is endemic in most of West Africa, especially Nigeria, where it was discovered in 1969.

Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi states account for 85% of cases, said Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, director of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, in a statement.


According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, touching, eating or sniffing foods and other household items that have been contaminated by multimammate rat feces or urine can aid transmission.

Nigerians, especially in those three states, should "continue focusing on prevention by ensuring they prevent access to their foodstuff by rodents," Ihekweazu said.

There is risk of the virus spreading to other West African countries due to increased migration, said Dr. Oyewale Tomori, professor of virology at Redeemer's University in Nigeria and the former regional virologist for the WHO's Africa Region.

"There is always cause for alarm in West Africa, where the rodent host of can be found in virtually all countries of West Africa," he said.

Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone have all reported cases of Lassa fever over the past month, according to the WHO, but risk of further international transmission is low for now.

CNN's Meera Senthilingam contributed to this story.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/03/01/health/nigeria-lassa-fever-outbreak-record-high/index.html?__twitter_impression=true

Government of the unprecedented. Of course, never in positive acts but the reverse:

...unprecedented looting & re-looting of our commonwealth.

...unprecedented outbreak of diseases.

...unprecedented spread of hardship, poverty and hunger.

...unprecedented murdering of Nigerians by Bubu and his Fulani terrorists brothers.

unprecedented recession ever in our history.

And of course, not forgetting the unprecedented creation of 40,000 email addresses for government officials, one of their greatest achievement (only in this government).

My people, lets all be thankful that Ebola didn't meet us at this time.

Nothing good is coming out of Nigeria this period courtesy of cowhari

I wonder why this government is not taking anything that has to do with the lives of Nigerians into cognisance.
Thank God nigeria did not experience Ebola under this government. They would have sit and watched it wiped almost half of nigeria population.
Failed government!

please push this topic to the front page

Its official animals are causing havoc in Nigeria. S.O.S

The health sector has never been given any serious attention in this country. Worse still, they said that their concern from 2015-2019 is economy, security and corruption so healthcare is of course studiously ignored. In fact, the President and his family are the highest patrons of foreign healthcare and education so it's not surprising that the indices and outlook for these sectors are at the lowest levels.

People keep dying from avoidable causes, the major cause of insecurity is lack of education and poor social security. Those injured during violent outbreaks throng same healthcare facilities that are of no use. Hospitals are left without supplies, facilities are non-existent, outdated or over-stretched.

The corruption supposedly being fought has carved the perfect niche and found a natural habitat in d ministry of health with the full blessings and support of the president and his cronies. Now for the first time, Nigeria has the worst case of lassa fever, polio has made a comeback, people die of snakebites because the government refused to procure anti-venom, the best brains are leaving the country in droves...etc!

Ebola had better not come around because as they have been digging Nigeria into their brand of unprecedented messes, it will still be PDP/Jonathan's fault that Ebola has not been eradicated completely from the world!

So there is on going Lassa fever out break and nobody is saying much about it.

this is a health epidemic and no one is saying anything about it,
Please keep your houses clean, get ribravin .

ehie:
please push this topic to the front page

Lets summon the spirits of lalasticlala and mynd44.

We hereby invoke the duo to do the needful...

Splinz:


Lets summon the spirits of lalasticlala and mynd44.

We hereby invoke the duo to do the needful...

I think they are still searching for bbnaija news

ehie:
this is a health epidemic and no one is saying anything about it,
Please keep your houses clean, get ribravin .

Buhari said he came to fight corruption so the healthcare of the masses does not concern them.

freeze001:
The health sector has never been given any serious attention in this country. Worse still, they said that their concern from 2015-2019 is economy, security and corruption so healthcare is of course studiously ignored. In fact, the President and his family are the highest patrons of foreign healthcare and education so it's not surprising that the indices and outlook for these sectors are at the lowest levels.

People keep dying from avoidable causes, the major cause of insecurity is lack of education and poor social security. Those injured during violent outbreaks throng same healthcare facilities that are of no use. Hospitals are left without supplies, facilities are non-existent, outdated or over-stretched.

The corruption supposedly being fought has carved the perfect niche and found a natural habitat in d ministry of health with the full blessings and support of the president and his cronies. Now for the first time, Nigeria has the worst case of lassa fever, polio has made a comeback, people die of snakebites because the government refused to procure anti-venom, the best brains are leaving the country in droves...etc!

Ebola had better not come around because as they have been digging Nigeria into their brand of unprecedented messes, it will still be PDP/Jonathan's fault that Ebola has not been eradicated completely from the world!

This govt have never done anything towards health and education in this country.
All is fighting one stupid corruption battle with no end and security that tends to take more lives

I am surprised CNN doesn't know that the health sector in Nigeria is dead. R.I.P to the dead

Nigeria my country

Una just dey break bad bad record.

1. GDP 0.83% growth in 2017 vs 5.97% population growth within the same period (hunger will continue)
2. Largest importer of petrol in the world yet and 6th largest producer of crude oil, such wonder! No refining capacity!
2. Now Lassa fever is ravaging and 77 persons, another world record, have been killed.

And somebody somewhere is pighting kworrufshion.

A people deserve the kind of leaders they get; when God wants to punish a nation, he sends them cruel and merciless leaders.

Everything originating from Borno State na disaster
* Boko Haram
*Sambisa forest
*Lassa fever
*Chibok girls
mtcheewwww

Buhari why​?

KingGBsky:
I wonder why this government is not taking anything that has to do with the lives of Nigerians into cognisance.
Thank God nigeria did not experience Ebola under this government. They would have sit and watched it wiped almost half of nigeria population.
Failed government!

You are so right!! All the lessons learnt from the Ebola incident, were thrown into the dustbin by healthcare administrators under this govt!

Buhari why?

It is well. God in His infinity mercy will intervene and heal them

Everything na to dey chop

If the OLD man was president during EBOLA.......

We always create records for negative things:

1. Highest importer of Petrol
2. Highest deaths from Lassa Fever
3. Most confused government ever etc etc

ehie:
please push this topic to the front page

Auntie i dey hail, nairaland since 2006. i dey find babe, i come jam my far senior

nonsense report from this CNN.....what about reporting record high gun shooting in American schools?

Why can't any good news come out of Nigeria?

God have mercy on us all.

It must surely be better some day.

valentineuwakwe:
nonsense report from this CNN.....what about reporting record high gun shooting in American schools?

CNN has already done that. And what is the 'nonsense' in their report about Lassa Fever in Nigeria? Did they lie?