42 deaths occurred of Lassa fever in Nigeria

In Nigeria, 42 deaths have occurred in the latest outbreak of Lassa fever.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control had declared on 21st of last month an outbreak of the disease, which kills hundreds in Nigeria every year.

A total of 538 suspected cases were reported from 16 of the country’s 36 states, 213 of which were confirmed positive, 325 negative and two probable cases, it said in a situational report.

Lassa fever, named after the Nigerian village where it was first discovered, is transmitted from the excreta or urine of Mastomys rats, which are commonly known as “multimammate rats”.

Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, dizziness, sore throat, malaise, cough, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and hearing loss.