41 killed in Nigeria Lassa fever outbreak

The outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria has killed 41 people out of 93 reported cases, Health Minister Isaac Adewole said Tuesday.

Adewole however said the spread of the disease had not gone beyond 10 states of the country, denying reports it had spread to 12 states.

It is said to be the worst outbreak of the virus in Nigeria in the past four years.

Nigeria has informed the World Health Organization of the development and the government is taking measures to curtail further spread of the disease in rural areas, Adewole said, adding no new cases were reported in the last 72 hours.

The outbreak erupted last month and the first reported case was in the northeastern state of Bauchi.

The latest outbreak was "unusual" because the authorities were not quickly informed, Adewole said.

Lassa fever is an acute and often fatal viral disease, occurring mainly in West Africa. It is usually transmitted by contact with the saliva or excreta of rats accessing homes and food stores.

It is first described in 1969 in the town of Lassa in Nigeria. In some cases, Lassa fever has similar symptoms with malaria.

Nigerian authorities have said they are capable of putting the outbreak under control, noting there is a high survival rate for those diagnosed early.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control has started coordinating response activities in all affected states, official say.

In 2012, Lassa fever killed more than 40 in 12 states across Nigeria, after which the government set up a Lassa Fever Rapid Response Committee for the prevention and control of the disease. Endit