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Lassa fever kills 2 in Ondo, Benue as 2020 death toll nears 200

197 deaths caused by Lassa fever have now been recorded in Nigeria since January.

Two people died in Ondo and Benue as a result of Lassa fever infection between May 18, 2020, and May 24, 2020.

According to the latest situation report published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday, May 29, the acute viral haemorrhagic illness, caused by rodents, has killed 197 people in 2020.

Nine new cases were recorded in the week under review with five in Ondo, two in Edo, and one each in Benue and Ebonyi.

Suspected cases in Aba, Bauchi, Delta, Imo, Plateau, and Taraba returned negative results.

1,015 cases have now been recorded in 27 Nigerian states, with at least one confirmed case across 128 local government areas across the country.

One of the new cases recorded is a healthcare worker in Ondo State, according to the situation report.

The NCDC declared in April that the emergency phase of the 2020 Lassa fever outbreak was over because its case count dropped below levels considered to be a national emergency.

However, the agency's Director-General, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said Nigeria would continue to record Lassa fever cases even though the country had passed its usual January to April peak period.

NCDC's Director-General, Chikwe Ihekweazu, says authorities are working on a Lassa fever vaccine [Twitter/@Dawisu]
NCDC's Director-General, Chikwe Ihekweazu, says authorities are working on a Lassa fever vaccine [Twitter/@Dawisu]

Ondo has recorded the highest number of cases with 332, closely followed by Edo (328), Ebonyi (75), and Taraba (56).

Ondo has also recorded the highest number of deaths with 48, followed by Edo with 39, Taraba with 21, and Bauchi with 20.

Other states affected are Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Delta, Enugu, FCT, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, and Sokoto.

Lagos, Ogun, Osun, and Oyo have recorded confirmed cases, but zero deaths during the course of the year.

Lassa fever infection can happen through contact with excreta or urine of rodents; contact with a probable or confirmed Lassa fever case within a period of 21 days of onset of symptoms; or any person with inexplicable bleeding/hemorrhagia.

Symptoms of Lassa fever include malaise, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, myalgia, chest pain, and hearing loss.

The NCDC said in last month's announcement that a large epidemiological study being implemented in Nigeria and other West African countries is expected to contribute to Lassa fever vaccine development.

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