Death toll of Lassa fever hits 43 in Nigeria

ABUJA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lassa fever has claimed 43 lives across 17 states in Nigeria, out of 193 cases which tested positive to the virus in the past two months, the local center for disease control said Monday.

The figure represents a 23.9 percent case fatality rate of the confirmed cases throughout the country, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control said of the latest outbreak in an official statement.

Currently, Lassa fever testing is carried out in only three laboratories in Africa's most populous country.

Facilities are being put in place to help establish a high identification rate of Lassa fever, the center for disease control said.

Minister of Health Isaac Adewole said the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research and other research institutes are now looking into the changing dynamics of Lassa fever.

"Lassa fever used to occur only during the dry season but now we are contending with an all-year transmission of Lassa fever," Adewole added.

Lassa fever has been persistent in the country over the past 30 years. It is a viral infection caused by the Lassa fever virus and spread through direct contact with urine, saliva or blood of infected rats, eating food or drinking contaminated water. Enditem