Lassa fever death toll hits 104, cases now 636

The death toll of Lassa fever in Nigeria so far this year has risen to 104, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

In its week eight Lassa fever situation report, the NCDC said there had been a total of 636 confirmed cases recorded from 22 and 88 local government areas since the beginning of the year.

A total of 2,978 suspected cases were recorded from January to February 26, 2023.

With the current death toll, the public health institution noted that the case-fatality ratio of the outbreak stood at 16.4 per cent.

It added that the predominant age group affected in the country was 21 to 30 years, with the male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases being 10:9.

According to the World Health Organisation, Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses. Humans usually become infected with the Lassa virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats. The disease is endemic in the rodent population in parts of West Africa.

Lassa fever is known to be endemic in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria, but probably exists in other West African countries as well.

Person-to-person infections and laboratory transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings in the absence of adequate infection prevention and control measures.

The NCDC report read in part, “Seventy per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from these three states (Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi) while 30 per cent were reported from seven states with confirmed Lassa fever cases. Of the 70 per cent confirmed cases, Ondo reported 33 per cent, Edo 28 per cent, and Taraba nine per cent.

“The number of suspected cases increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2022.

“Four new healthcare workers were affected in the reporting week eight.”

The NCDC added that poor environmental sanitation and poor awareness conditions were observed in high-burden communities.

Comments

129 suspects arrested for organising online gambling

The Police in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality have arrested 129 suspects for organising online gambling, local police said on Thursday.

Femi Falana gets information on N4.6b fuel drained daily from FG

The federal government has forwarded to Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) information on fuel importation and sundry matters. The requested information was forwarded to the lawyer by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) which was acting on the directive of the Minister of state, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachukwu as requested in his letter to the minister dated April 17, 2018. A letter dated July 9 and signed by Kingston Chikwendo on behalf of the DPR to Falana and titled “Re: Request for Information on Fuel Importation and Sundry Matter” stated in part: “We humbly referred to your letter dated 17th April, 2018 to the Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum (HMSP) requesting for information on fuel importation and sundry matters. “The HMSP has directed the DPR to provide you with the requested information. “Consequently, we hereby forward to you the requested information as detailed in your letter”, it stated. In his letter dated April 17, Falana had specifically

Mysterious Illness Strikes Eregi Girls School in Kenya: Over 90 Students Affected (Video)

Mysterious illness breaks out at Eregi Girls School in Kenya as more than 90 students struggle to walk At least 95 students from Eregi Girls Secondary School in Kenya have been hospitalised at various hospitals following an outbreak of a mysterious illness in the school. The students were admitted to Kakamega County General Hospital (KCGH), Iguhu, and Shibwe sub-county hospitals. According to NTV Kenya, the students were admitted after they developed a condition that paralysed their limbs. According to the figures released by the management, 29 students are currently receiving treatment at Iguhu Hospital, 39 at Kakamega Referral Hospital, 31 at Mukumu Mission Hospital, and 14 at Shibwe Hospital. A nurse who sought anonymity said the condition that has led to the students losing sensation in their legs is believed to be electrolyte imbalance. She explained that the condition is characterised by the loss of fluids in the body of the victims, as observed in most of the students. "Thi

GIST OF THE DAY

Search This Blog