“The number of deaths has increased. The overall case fatality rate (CFR) for 2020 is (17.1 percent) which is lower than the CFR for the same period during 2019 (28.7 percent).
“In total for 2020, eight states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 13 Local Government Areas; 89 percent of all confirmed cases are from Edo (38 percent), Ondo (38 percent) and Ebonyi (11 percent) States.
“The predominant age-group affected is 11-40 years (Range: >11 to 60 years, Median Age: 33 years).
“The male to female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:1.
“The number of suspected cases has increased but is lower than the numbers reported in 2019.
“One Health Care Worker infection was identified in the reporting week 02.,” the NCDC observed.
In a related event, the NCDC confirmed that its Rapid Response Team, RRT in Ondo met with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the State Commissioner of Health to tackle the outbreak of Lassa fever in the State.
According to a Lassa fever Healthcare Worker Advisory issued by the Agency, Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus.
It is a major public health challenge in West Africa, with Nigeria bearing the highest burden.
The natural reservoir for the virus is the Mastomys natalensis rodent (commonly known as the multimammate rat).
Epidemiological data show that Lassa fever occurs throughout the year, but more cases are recorded during the dry season (November through May).
