Lassa Fever Outbreak In Nigeria Kills 29 In January - Centre For Disease Control

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2020) An outbreak of Lassa fever has killed 29 people in Nigeria since the beginning of the new year with 195 confirmed cases prompting health institutions to step up mitigation efforts, Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced on Saturday.

"As at the 24th of January 2020, 195 confirmed cases and 29 deaths had been reported in 11 states. Of the confirmed cases, 89% are from Ondo, Edo and Ebonyi States," the statement read.

In response to the uptick in fatalities, the NCDC announced the formation of a national emergency operations centre to coordinate the deployment of five rapid response teams to affected states.

Additionally, Nigerian Health Minister Osagie Ehanire visited the northern state of Kano where two physicians are said to have died after being diagnosed with Lassa fever, according to the statement.

Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever transmitted to humans from rodents endemic to West Africa, especially in Nigeria. The virus has a 15-20 percent mortality rate and symptoms can include fever, vomiting and muscle weakness.