Lassa fever has claimed 21 lives in Nigeria’s Edo State, where the disease has spread to various regions. Dr. Joseph Okoeguale, a health official, reported 240 confirmed cases in the state.
This year, over 170 people have died nationwide due to the outbreak. The government has identified three medications for treatment. Lassa fever was first detected in Nigeria in 1969 in Borno State and has since appeared in several African countries, including Mali, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
The Nigerian government declared a state of emergency for Lassa fever on January 23, 2019. The disease is transmitted through contact with rodent droppings and can spread from person to person, causing severe hemorrhagic fever. Authorities have warned the public to avoid contact with rats and other rodents.