The death toll in Nigeria from Lassa fever, a deadly haemorrhagic disease, has risen to 163, according to African media.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the Lassa fever outbreak continued to spread across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Earlier, the Nigerian government announced that medics had identified three drugs to treat the disease.
Lassa fever cases tend to increase during the dry season, which usually lasts from November to May. In 2023, there were 1,227 cases of that fever and 219 deaths.
A deadly fever, which also occurs in several other African countries, such as Mali, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, was first detected in Nigeria in north-eastern Borno State in 1969.
On 23 January 2019, the Nigerian government declared a state of emergency due to an outbreak of the fever. The disease is transmitted through contact with rat faeces, can be spread from person to person and can cause fatal haemorrhagic fever.
Authorities warn the public to avoid contact with rats and other rodents.
