By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Nigerian health officials reported five additional confirmed Lassa fever cases in the week ending Oct. 13.

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C. S. Goldsmith, P. Rollin, M. Bowen

The cases were reported from Edo(2), Ondo(2) and Bauchi(1) states.  No deaths were reported.

This brings the outbreak total for 2019 to 726 confirmed cases, including 154 deaths (21% CFR).

Twenty-three state have reported at least one case; however, 93% of all confirmed cases are from Edo (38%), Ondo (30%), Ebonyi (7%), Bauchi (7%), Taraba(6%) and Plateau (5%) states.

Lassa fever is spread primarily by rats. Rats that carry the Lassa fever virus live in homes and areas where food is stored. People usually become ill with Lassa fever after direct contact with rat droppings or urine and through touching objects or eating food contaminated with rat droppings or urine.

Lassa fever may also spread when a person comes into contact with an infected person’s blood, tissue, or body fluids, especially when that person is seriously ill.