Lassa fever killed 204 Nigerians in 2020 – FG

The Ondo State Government on Thursday said no fewer than 80 people lost their lives as a result of the deadly Lassa fever in the state between January and December 2020.

It also stated that 75 per cent of the confirmed cases of the disease were from three states while Ondo was topping the list with 36 per cent.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jibayo Adeyeye, disclosed this during a road walk sensitisation to the eradication of Lassa fever in the state.

The programme was held in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of the state, where 10,000 rodenticides were distributed to residents free of charge in order to eliminate rodents in Owo and Ose local government areas.

According to the commissioner, 18 per cent fatalities were recorded from the total reported cases of the deadly disease when compared to the less than one per cent of the COVID-19-related deaths in the state.

Adeyeye noted that the dry season usually heralded the emergence of the disease in the country.

He said, “We are in an unfortunate situation of COVID-19 all over the world. It has killed 41 people in Ondo State from January till now. But Lassa has killed more than 80 people.”