Lassa fever kills one in Zamfara, infects two in Edo

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed three new cases of Lassa fever and one death.

According to the latest figures from NCDC released yesterday “in the reporting Week 22 (May 27-June 2, 2019), three new confirmed cases were reported from two states – Edo (two) and Zamfara (one) with one new death from Zamfara State.”

The NCDC said from January 1 to June 2, 2019, 2,639 suspected cases had been reported from 22 states and of these, 581 were confirmed positive, 15 probable and 2,043 negative (not a case).

The Centre said since the onset of the 2019 outbreak, there had been 130 deaths in confirmed cases and Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) is 22.4 per cent.

The NCDC said 21 states (Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo, Kebbi, Cross River and Zamfara) and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have recorded at least one confirmed case across 83 local councils.

It noted that 92 per cent of all confirmed cases are from Edo (36 per cent), Ondo (28 per cent), Ebonyi (eight per cent), Bauchi (seven per cent), Taraba (seven per cent) and Plateau (six per cent).

According to the NCDC, the predominant age group affected is 21-40 years and the male to female ratio for confirmed cases is 1.2:1.

The Centre said in the reporting week 22, no new health care worker was affected and 18 healthcare workers had been infected since the onset of the outbreak in nine states – Edo (seven), Ondo (three), Ebonyi (two), Enugu (one), Rivers (one), Bauchi (one) Benue (one), Plateau (one) and Kebbi (one) with two deaths in Enugu and Edo states.

Besides, the Centre said five patients are currently being managed at various treatment centres across the country: three at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) Treatment Centre, Edo State; one at Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; and one at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State.

It said 7,517 contacts had been identified from 21 states and of these, 498 (6.6 per cent) are currently being followed up, 6,943 (92.4 per cent) have completed 21 days follow up, while 12 (0.2 per cent) were lost to follow up.

The NCDC said 126 (1.7 per cent) symptomatic contacts had been identified of which 64 (0.8 per cent) tested positive.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said outbreak of emergency phase had been declared based on composite indicators and the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) continues to co-ordinate response activities at all levels.

The epidemiologist said suspected case describes any individual presenting with one or more of the following: malaise, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, myalgia, chest pain, hearing loss and either: a history of contact with excreta or urine of rodents; and history of contact with a probable or confirmed Lassa fever case within a period of 21 days of onset of symptoms or any person with inexplicable bleeding/haemorrhage.