The ongoing Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has claimed 188 lives since the beginning of the year, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said on Thursday.
The health agency said in its weekly report that the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 19 in week 13, to 12.
Nigeria is now battling two deadly diseases: Lassa fever and COVID-19, which has infected 276 people and caused six deaths.
While COVID-19 is a new global disease with less epidemiological information, Lassa fever has become endemic in Nigeria. The country has battled it annually for the past 50 years.
The NCDC, on Thursday, said since the onset of the 2020 Lassa fever outbreak, the country has recorded 963 confirmed cases and 188 deaths.
Last week, the total number of deaths was 185, meaning three people died from the disease within the last week.
Outbreak
NCDC said for reporting week 14, the number of newly confirmed cases decreased from 19 cases in week 13, to 12 cases.
The new cases were reported from Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Bauchi and Sokoto.
There has been a gradual reduction in new cases reported across the country in the last three consecutive weeks.
This could be as a result of the rains in some parts of the country especially in places with a high burden of the disease.
