The country reported 1,227 confirmed cases of the acute viral hemorrhagic illness across 28 out of the 36 states last year, according to a statement by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) obtained by Xinhua on Monday.
The latest figure showed an increase in confirmed cases and fatalities recorded in 2023 in comparison with 1,055 cases and 189 deaths recorded in 2022. The report also indicated that the case fatality rate in 2023 stood at 17.5 percent.
The total suspected number of cases reached 8,978, with a significant rise in the figure when compared to 8,130 reported in 2022, the NCDC noted.
Lassa fever is a disease spread to humans through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or feces. It is reportedly transmitted when saliva, urine, and excreta of rats come into contact with humans.
In some cases, Lassa fever has similar symptoms to malaria, appearing between one and three weeks after exposure to the virus. In mild cases, the disease causes fever, fatigue, weakness, and headache.