Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria kills 156 in 2024

The Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has killed 156 people since the beginning of 2024, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control said in a report.

News Center- The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has released a report titled, “Lassa Fever Situation Report” on cases of Lassa fever between April 22 and 28, 2024.

According to the report, 28 states recorded at least one confirmed case, 857 new confirmed cases recorded across the country and the outbreak killed 156 people between the beginning of 2024 and April 28.

Lassa fever (LF) was first reported in 1969 in an American Missionary Nurse, who worked in Lassa town in Borno State of Nigeria. The Nigerian government declared a “state of emergency” in February 2023 due to an outbreak of Lassa fever. The country recorded 1,227 confirmed cases and 219 deaths of Lassa Fever across 28 states in 2023.