The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Wednesday disclosed that 149 citizens have so far lost their lives to Lassa fever in 2022.

According to the report, Edo and Ondo states were currently leading in the number of deaths reported so far.

This is contained in the data obtained from the latest report on the disease published by the NCDC on Wednesday.

The Lassa fever, a disease that is endemic in Nigeria, occurs throughout the year but more cases are recorded during the dry season.

Since the last outbreak of the disease in 2016, the NCDC noted that there had been an increase in the number of recurring cases.

In 2019, the centre noted that 796 cases were reported; while in 2020, a total of 1,165 cases were confirmed during the height of the pandemic.

The NCDC also confirmed a total of 4,632 suspected cases in 2021.

The centre stated, “So far in 2022, 149 people have lost their lives; the highest deaths reported so far in four years.

“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 17 in the year 2022, 149 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate of 19.6 per cent.

“In total for 2022, 23 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 95 local government areas. Of all confirmed cases, 68 per cent are from states namely; Ondo (28 per cent), Edo (25 per cent) and Bauchi (15 per cent).

“The predominant age-group affected is 21-30 years (range: 1 to 80 years, median age: 30 years). The number of suspected cases has increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2021.

Ondo has so far reported 37 deaths, Edo -26, Bauchi -12, Kogi -7, Ebonyi -18, Benue -8, Taraba -14, Oyo -4, Gombe -8, Enugu -2, Nasarawa -6, Anambra -1 and Kaduna -3.

Others are Cross River -1, Kano -1 and Katsina -1.