Lassa fever has claimed 132 lives in 2022 – FG

Lassa Fever outbreak in Nigeria has claimed the lives of 132 persons since the beginning of this year, 2022, the Minister of State for Health, Senator Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora has said.

He explained that in 23 States in the country, 3,746 suspected cases and 691 confirmed cases had also been recorded.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja during the ministry’s bi-weekly COVID-19 update, the Minister explained that Lassa fever cases were on the rise, with a case fatality rate of 19.1 percent.

He noted that in Lagos State, there was an increase in COVID-19 cases, while in the Federal Capital Territory; a decline in cases was being witnessed.

According to Mamora, in Kaduna, Kwara and Rivers States, there was stability in cases of COVID-19, whereas that of other States could not be ascertained.

He disclosed that the government planned sequencing the virus by the end of April, explaining that the data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency showed that 60 percent of those who received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine returned to take the second dose.

Ifedayo Adetifa, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, noted that contrary to media reports, Nigeria was not witnessing increase in COVID-19 cases.

According to him, the agency was strengthening its national laboratory network; stressing that eight States could now test about 1000 samples per week.