COVID-19

Nigeria is already dealing with a deadlier viral outbreak than COVID-19

Ecologist James Koninga anesthetises a Mastomys Natalensis rodent with Isoflurane ether in the village of Jormu in southeastern Sierra Leone February 8, 2011. Lassa fever, named after the Nigerian town where it was first identified in 1969, is among a U.S. list of "category A" diseases - deemed to have the potential for major public health impact - alongside anthrax and botulism. The disease is carried by the Mastomys Natalensis rodent, found across sub-Saharan Africa and often eaten as a source of protein. It infects an estimated 300,000-500,000 people each year, and kills about 5,000. Picture taken February 8, 2011.

Lassa fever is a 'Class A' disease. Image: REUTERS/Simon Akam

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Lassa fever cases in Nigeria
There has been a sharp rise in the number of Lassa fever cases in 2020 Image: Quartz
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