ABUJA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has risen to 172 since the beginning of this year, public health authorities said Wednesday.
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in its latest update that 924 confirmed cases out of 8,041 suspected cases were reported between January and October across 106 local government areas in 21 of the country's 36 states.
The agency said the case fatality rate stood at 18.6 percent, higher than the 17 percent recorded during the same period in 2024. It attributed the rise in deaths to "late presentation of cases and poor health-seeking behavior among residents of high-burden communities."
The worst-hit states are Edo, Ebonyi, and Ondo in the south, and Bauchi and Taraba in the north, accounting for more than 90 percent of all confirmed cases. Ondo alone represents 35 percent of the total number of confirmed cases, according to the NCDC.
It said the predominant age group affected was 21 to 30 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.8.
The public health agency said poor sanitation, limited awareness in high-burden communities, and delayed treatment continue to exacerbate the outbreak. A multi-sectoral incident management system has been activated to coordinate a nationwide response.
Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic illness, is primarily transmitted through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or feces. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through direct contact with the blood, saliva, urine, or excreta of infected individuals. ■