From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced, on Monday, that a 31-year-old physician, who recently returned from the UK, has died of Lassa Fever in Ondo State.
NCDC in a statement, noted that on March 5, it was notified of a confirmed case of Lassa fever by the Ondo State Ministry of Health in the physician who was managed at a private health facility in Ondo State after returning from a trip abroad (UK).
It further noted that the patient departed Nigeria on 19/02/2025 and returned 27/02/2025. “Samples were taken late on Friday, 28/02/2025 on a suspicion of Lassa fever, but the patient unfortunately passed away in the early hours of Saturday, 01/03/2025.
“The laboratory investigation returned a result that was Lassa Fever positive on PCR on Tuesday 04/03/2025. The patient was said to have visited his fiancée in Edo state, as well as family and friends before traveling to the UK.
“To enhance state and international level coordination of all control and management efforts, NCDC ssid that some steps have been taken, perhaps, in collaboration with state governments. “Ondo State Ministry of Health has bolstered control and management efforts through contact tracing and line listing of contacts of the confirmed case.
“All necessary in-country structures have been mobilized to ensure all possible contacts are traced and monitored. We also communicated to the Department of Port Health Services to support contact tracing and line listing of contacts, and bolster surveillance efforts at the point of entries and exits.
Meanwhile, the Director General of NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, in a Lassa fever advisory released in Abuja, assured that NCDC will continue to monitor the occurrence and trend of several diseases nationwide, notably, Lassa Fever and other viral hemorrhagic fevers, Meningitis, Diphtheria, Cholera, Ebola, etc.
Dr. Idris said Lassa fever is an acute Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (VHF) caused by the Lassa virus, and the natural reservoir for the virus is the multimammate rat (also known as the African rat). Other rodents can also act as carriers of the virus.
He confirmed that Lassa fever cases are recorded all year round, with peak transmission periods within October to May every year. “Cumulatively, as at Epi-week 9 (24th February to 2nd March 2025), 2, 728 suspected cases; 535 confirmed cases and unfortunately, 98 deaths have been recorded across 14 states in Nigeria (Case Fatality Rate 18.3%).
“Five states account for 91 per cent of confirmed cases: Ondo: 31%, Bauchi: 24%, Edo: 17%, Taraba: 16% and Ebonyi: 3%. 10 LGAs make up 68% of confirmed cases, namely Owo, Akure South, Etsako West, Kirfi, Akoko South West, Bali, Esan North East, Bauchi, Toro and Jalingo,” he added.