Nigeria cholera deaths reach 3,000: Lassa fever deaths reach 77
Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi
Modern Tokyo Times
The cholera outbreak is gradually weakening in Nigeria concerning the reduction of new cases in late September. Despite this, the death toll from Cholera is now over 3,000.
In total, 3,057 people have died from 88,000 cholera cases this year in Nigeria. Hence, the current case fatality rate is 3.5%.
Other infectious diseases in Nigeria include Covid-19, Lassa fever, measles, monkeypox, and Yellow fever. The death toll from Lassa fever is lower than cholera. However, the case fertility rate from Lassa fever is 20.3%. (77 deaths from 379 cases this year).
The World Health Organization reports, “Cholera is an acute bacterial infection associated with profuse diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration and death. The disease is spread mainly by faecal contamination of water and food and is linked to poor sanitation and lack of clean drinking water. In Nigeria, 23 states have recorded suspected cases of cholera in 2021.”
The waterborne nature of cholera means that Nigeria – and other nations blighted by poor infrastructures – are at the mercy of major outbreaks. This concerns poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water, hygiene-related issues, and other important factors.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – concerning Lassa fever – says, “Individuals at greatest risk of Lassa virus infection are those who live in or visit endemic regions, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria and have exposure to the multimammate rat. Risk of exposure may also exist in other West African countries where Mastomys rodents exist. Hospital staff are not at great risk for infection as long as protective measures and proper sterilization methods are used.”
West Africa is blighted by Lassa fever. Hence, cases and deaths have been reported in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo. This viral hemorrhagic fever creates general weakness, headaches, muscle pains, and vomiting. Other rare symptoms include bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract or the mouth.
Lee Jay Walker says, “Nigeria is rich in countless natural resources. For example, petroleum, natural gas, tin, iron ore, zinc, lead, niobium, and several others. However, Nigeria is blighted by many internal problems. This concerns rampant corruption, a brutal Islamist insurgency, and many ethnic conflicts that lead to many deaths each year.”
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