Lassa fever has claimed 70 lives this year, with Taraba, Ondo and Edo states having the highest number of casualties.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), a total of 1, 552 suspected cases, 358 confirmed cases and 70 deaths from Lassa fever have been recorded since the beginning of the year.
An analysis of the latest situation report from the agency showed that 10 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 58 local government areas, reports Daily Trust.
The states with the highest number of deaths are; Taraba 18, Ondo 17, Edo 11, Bauchi 6, Ebonyi 6, Kogi 4, Gombe 5, Plateau one and Nasarawa 2.
The report said that 75% of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi, while 25% were reported from seven states.
The NCDC report said of the 75% confirmed cases, Ondo reported 37%, Edo 20%, and Bauchi 18%.
It was gathered that the states with the highest number of cases are; Ondo 133, Edo 71, Bauchi, 63, Taraba 56, Ebonyi 11, Kogi 10 and Gombe 8 cases.
Also, between January 27 and February 2nd alone, 17 deaths, 379 suspected cases and 68 confirmed cases were recorded from the disease. They were reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Kogi, Gombe and Ebonyi states. Three new healthcare workers were also affected.
The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years while the male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8
Lassa fever is a haemorrhagic viral illness caused by contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.
The virus is carried in multimammate rats (the common soft-furred African rat which female has two rows of breasts). The rat normally lives in the bush and visits nearby homes for food; which they contaminate. Other rodents can also act as carriers of the virus.
Lassa fever was first detected in Nigeria in 1969, and it comes with bleeding, and death in severe cases. It has an incubation period of six to 21 days.
The symptoms are fever, weakness, muscle and chest pains, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough and abdominal pain. In most severe cases, individuals may bleed from the mouth, nose, eyes or other parts of the body.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said the virus spreads through: “Direct contact with urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats.
“Contact with objects, household items, and surfaces contaminated with the urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats.
“It is also spread through consuming food or water contaminated with the urine, faeces, saliva, or blood of infected rats. Person-to-person transmission can also occur through direct contact with blood, urine, faeces, vomitus, and other body fluids of an infected person.”
Lassa fever outbreaks in Nigeria
Nigeria is one of the countries that have been experiencing consistent seasonal and sporadic outbreaks of Lassa fever in West Africa, and the outbreaks have resulted in the loss of lives among the general public and health workers, especially in health facilities where there is low index of suspicion of Lassa fever, coupled with non-adherence to standard precaution in the clinical management of patients.
Reports show that in 2024, the country recorded a total of 1,667 suspected cases, 328 confirmed cases and 63 deaths from the disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and the annual peak of cases is typically observed during the dry season (December–April).
Dr Idris, the director general of NCDC, said the country has continued to see a steady increase in the number of states reporting Lassa fever cases.
He said the rise is due, in part, to improved surveillance, better community awareness, environmental degradation from climate change, and other harmful human activities.
The NCDC boss explained that the disease is also associated with significant loss of livelihood in the communities it ravages.
“Heads of households are unable to work when exposed to Lassa fever and when other household members are infected, the cost of care and treatment of the disease which is often significant strains existing household income pushing households toward poverty in a swift turn of events,” he stated.
He said healthcare workers are also not excluded as there is a high chance of infection if proper infection prevention and control measures are not observed.
He added that early diagnosis of the disease when experiencing symptoms increases the chances of survival.
How government is responding to outbreak
The NCDC boss said the national Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System (IMS) has been activated to coordinate the response activities at all levels.
Earlier in December, he said the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated to ensure seamless coordination of Lassa fever control and management activities using a One Health approach.
He further said in preparation for this outbreak season, critical medical supplies, infection prevention and control (IPC) materials, and laboratory diagnostic tools and materials have been distributed to various states nationwide.
He said, “Our goal is to reduce the number of cases and importantly, deaths”.
He said Lassa Fever testing laboratories had also been expanded from about nine to 13, adding that more would be upgraded.
Experts proffer solutions
Medical experts said Nigeria should increase efforts towards preventing the disease.
They advised individuals, health workers, families and communities to improve on their personal hygiene and also ensure that their houses are free from rats, and properly cover all foods and drinks.
Dr Joseph Okoeguale, Director, Institute of Viral and Emergent Pathogens Control and Research (IVEPCR), Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Irrua, Edo State, said preventing the spread of Lassa fever and developing a vaccine are critical to combating the disease.
Dr Okoeguale, who is also a past Chief Medical Director of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, said it is important for healthcare workers to have a high index of suspicion during outbreak periods.
“Furthermore, maintaining universal standards of operating procedures will prevent a lot of health-related infections. The healthcare worker must be able to maintain high standards of IPC for dreaded infections such as Lassa fever, and other Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers.
Dr Ogugua Osi-Ogbu, a consultant physician, said it was necessary for people to keep their environments clean, and protect their food, eating utensils, water or anything they ingest through their mouths.
She said people should not leave water open, but keep it safe in a container with a tight cover that would be difficult for rats to enter.
“When rats have played on them and you don’t wash before use, your food will be contaminated,” she said.
The physician, however, added that not every fever is malaria. She advised that when people have fever that has been treated and is not going away, they must visit the hospital because there could be other reasons; one of which is Lassa fever.
Dr Francis Erah, a consultant public health physician, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, and data manager of the ENABLE 1.5 Study, said a vaccine for Lassa fever would help reduce the burden of the disease in Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region.
He said, “Even if you have few cases of people coming down with symptoms, the severity will be minimised, and chances are that people will live healthier.”
Also, the NCDC advised Nigerians to, “Eliminate rats in homes and communities using rat traps and block all holes in the house to prevent entry of rats.”
