Nigeria's Lassa Fever Outbreak Causes 151 Fatalities

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported an unprecedented negative trend in confirmed cases of Lassa Fever.

The NCDC recently confirmed a total of 869 confirmed Lassa Fever cases and 151 related fatalities from 26 states and 101 local government areas.

Cumulatively for 2023, the case fatality rate (CFR) of 17.4%.

As of April 9, 2023, for week #14 , the number of new confirmed cases is 23 from Bauchi, Ondo, Edo, Taraba, Lagos, and Enugu Niergian States.

Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever with a natural reservoir in the Mastomys natalensis rodent (African rat).

As of early March 2023, the U.S. CDC's Watch - Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions notice alerts visitors to Nirgeria of the health risk.

As of April 19, 2023, the U.S. FDA had not approved a Lassa fever vaccine.