Nigeria: Lassa Fever Outbreak

A recent outbreak of Lassa fever killed seventeen people in Kebbi State. According to officials of the state Ministry of Health, they became aware of the disease when a test on its epidemiology was conducted by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) which confirmed it as Lassa fever. It is said to be currently prevalent in three local government areas of Kebbi State: Augie, Birnin Kebbi and Kalgo. Out of the seventeen fatal cases, the highest with nine occurred in Birnin Kebbi.

Following reports of outbreaks of the Lassa fever in some parts of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory earlier this year, the Senate in a resolution urged the three tiers of government in the country to take appropriate measures to tackle the annual menace. The chairman, National Lassa Fever Stakeholders Forum, Prof. George Akpede, recently declared at a news conference in Abuja that some 51 million Nigerians are at the risk of contracting Lassa fever. Akpede said the number of Lassa fever-related illnesses might reach three million with an annual death of about 58,000.

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