Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria leaves 156 dead in 4 months

ABUJA, Nigeria

Lassa fever, which can be transmitted from animals to humans and can be fatal, has claimed the lives of 156 people in Nigeria in four months.

According to a statement from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), it was indicated that the Lassa fever outbreak had spread to 28 states in addition to the capital Abuja from Jan. 1 to April 28.

The statement noted that during this period, 857 cases of Lassa fever had been identified.

Last year, Nigeria recorded 1,170 cases of Lassa fever resulting in 219 fatalities.

Lassa fever first emerged in Nigeria in 1969 in the northeastern state of Borno.

Transmitted through contact with rat excrement, the disease can spread from person to person and lead to fatal hemorrhagic fever.