The number of people who lost their lives in the Lassa fever epidemic in Nigeria, which is transmitted from animal to human and can be fatal, has increased to 178.
In the statement made by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), it was stated that more than 8 thousand suspected Lassa fever cases were seen in the country between January 1 and November 20, and 989 of them were positive in the tests.
In the statement, it was reported that 178 people died due to the epidemic during this period in the country, and it was noted that the epidemic was seen in 107 regions of the country’s 26 states and was most effective in Ondo, Edo and Bauchi states.
The NCDC announced the number of people who died from the Lassa fever epidemic between January 1 and October 4 in the country as 172. The Nigerian government has announced that 3 drugs have been identified for the treatment of the disease.
Last year, 674 cases were detected and 102 people died in the Lassa fever epidemic, which increased in November and May, when the dry period is experienced every year.
IT WAS FIRST ORGANIZED IN NIGERIA IN 1969 IN THE STATE OF BORNO
Lassa fever, which is seen in many African countries such as Mali, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, was first encountered in Nigeria in 1969 in Borno state in the northeast of the country.
The Nigerian government declared a state of emergency due to Lassa fever on January 23, 2019.
The disease, which is transmitted by contact with mouse feces, can pass from person to person and causes fatal hemorrhagic fever.
Authorities warned the public not to come into contact with mice and other rodents. (AA)