The Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has now killed 101 people. Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) statistics showed that reported cases of the hemorrhagic disease — confirmed and suspected — stood at 175 with a total of 101 deaths since August.
“As at today, 19 states including Abuja are currently following up contacts or have suspected cases with laboratory results pending or laboratory confirmed cases,” the NCDC said in a statement. Deaths from the virus were recorded in the nation’s political capital, Abuja, Lagos and 14 other states, the NCDC said.
The NCDC said officials have distributed large quantities of drugs, including Ribavirin tablets and bottles of hand sanitizers across the country to tackle the disease.
It, however, reported that logistics support and delayed reporting of cases by states are dogging the fight against Lassa fever.
The outbreak was announced in January — months after the first case occurred in August — with subsequent deaths reported in 10 states, including Abuja.
Lassa Fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with fever, vomiting and, in worse case scenarios, hemorrhagic bleeding.
Its name is from the town of Lassa in Borno State where it was first identified in 1969.
