132 Nigerians die of Lassa fever within 4 months

The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, says Lassa fever outbreak has claimed  132  lives since the beginning of the year.

He said 3, 746 suspected cases and 691 confirmed cases had also been recorded in 23 states of the country.

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Speaking yesterday during the ministry’s bi-weekly COVID-19 update in Abuja, he said Lassa fever cases were on the rise with a case fatality rate of 19.1 percent.

He also said there was an increase in COVID-19 cases in Lagos State while a decline in cases was being witnessed in the Federal Capital Territory.

He said there was stability in cases in Kaduna, Kwara and Rivers States; while that of other states could not be ascertained.

While saying that the government planned sequencing the virus by the end of April , he said data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency showed that 60 percent of those who received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine returned to take the second dose.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Ifedayo Adetifa, said, contrary to media reports, Nigeria was not witnessing increase in COVID-19 cases.

He said the agency was strengthening its national laboratory network, and that eight states could now test about 1000 samples per week.