The death toll from the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has risen to 132, with a case fatality rate of around 17 percent, according to data by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Trend reports citing Reuters.
In a statement made available to Xinhua on Friday, the NCDC said at least 11 deaths were recorded between February 24 and March 1, out of 85 new confirmed cases within the period.
The overall confirmed cases across the country since the latest outbreak have risen to 775, the statement said.
A total of 27 states, including Lagos, the commercial hub, have recorded at least one confirmed case across 118 local government areas, since the onset of the outbreak in January, it added.
Lassa fever is reportedly transmitted when saliva, urine, and excreta of rats come into contact with humans. In some cases, it has similar symptoms as malaria.