By Monsuru Olowoopejo
Inspite of the ongoing lockdown in different states in Nigeria, the country has recorded atleast 185 deaths from Lassa fever in the last three months.
The deaths were recorded in 27 states with each of the states recording at least one confirmed case across the 126 Local Government Areas.
In the statistics released by National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), the number of suspected cases has significantly increased compared to the report during the same time last year.
In a report published by NCDC on Thursday, it was revealed that during the last week of first quarter, 2020, there was a decrease in the number of reported cases from 28 to 19 cases.
The Centre in its Weekly 13 situation report noted that Nigeria has been battling a Lassa fever outbreak since the beginning of the year with 951 confirmed cases.
Although the NCDC stated that there was a decline in the number of cases for four consecutive times, a total of nine persons died in a week.
The report revealed that last week no fewer than 176 deaths were recorded.
NCDC report stated that 19 cases were reported for Week 13, compared to 28 reported last week. These cases were reported from eight states – Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Taraba, Plateau, Kogi, and Delta. The decline, according to NCDC, in new cases might be explained by the beginning of rainfall in some parts of the country.
According to the report, three states, Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi, still have the highest number of cases from the outbreak. “Of the confirmed cases, 72 per cent are from the three states: Edo, 32 per cent; Ondo 32, per cent, and Ebonyi eight per cent. The five states with the highest number of confirmed cases are Edo with 309 confirmed cases and 39 deaths; Ondo, 305 confirmed cases and 43 deaths; Ebonyi with 72 cases and 15 deaths; Taraba with 55 cases and 21 deaths and Bauchi with 42 cases and 18 deaths. The predominant age-group affected is 21-30 years”
