Over 5,000 suspected cases of Lassa Fever have been documented in Nigeria since January 2023, primarily concentrated in approximately 28 states.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) released a statement providing an overview of the disease’s status in the country since 2022.

The statement revealed that, during the present period, there were 197 suspected cases, 8 confirmed cases, 0 probable cases, 2 deaths confirmed, and a case fatality rate of 25.0%.

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Cumulatively, from week 1 to week 20 of 2023, there were 5,593 suspected cases, while in the same period of 2022, there were 4,726 suspected cases.

The statement further highlighted that in week 20, the number of new confirmed cases slightly increased, reported from Ondo, Taraba, Edo, Bauchi, and Gombe states.

A total of 162 deaths were reported already, with a case fatality rate of 17.2%, which was lower compared to the same period in 2022 (19.8%).

Across 106 Local Government Areas, at least one confirmed case has been recorded in 28 states this year.