Recently, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed that 143 confirmed cases of Lassa fever out of 484 suspected cases had been recorded from December 30, 2024, to January 12, 2025, in seven states and 32 local government areas across the country. NCDC also reported 22 deaths, resulting in a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 15.4 per cent, within the period. According to the centre, the deaths occurred in Ondo (6), Edo (5), Bauchi (2), Taraba (6), Ebonyi (2), and Gombe (1). The report added that 77 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi, while 23 per cent were reported from four states with confirmed Lassa fever cases.
Of the 77 per cent confirmed cases, Ondo State reported 38 per cent, Edo 22 per cent, and Bauchi 17 per cent. The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years, while the male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.7. The centre, however, stated that the number of suspected cases decreased compared to the prevalence, the same period in 2024. It also noted that the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System had been activated to coordinate the response activities at all levels.
The rising spread of Lassa fever within weeks is worrisome. It shows the frightening rate of the disease. Lassa fever has become an annual infection in the country. By December 2024, NCDC had recorded 1,154 confirmed cases of Lassa fever out of the 9, 492 suspected cases and 190 deaths. The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, who made the disclosure, acknowledged that there had been an alarming increase in Lassa fever cases and deaths within the period, signalling the outbreak’s severity.
Idris added that the case fatality rate had consistently remained high at over 13 per cent, stressing that there was a rise in the number of suspected cases compared to a similar timeline in 2023. He said: “Lassa fever remains endemic in Nigeria, posing a significant public health risk across all states.”
The degree of occurrence poses serious challenge to the authorities and the people. The disease occurs throughout the year, with peak transmission typically recorded between October and May. Outbreaks typically occur during the dry season, when human exposure to rodents is highest.
According to experts, Lassa fever, also known as Lassa haemorrhagic fever, is a type of viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. Many of those infected by the virus do not develop symptoms. When symptoms occur, they typically include fever, weakness, headaches, vomiting, and muscle pains. Less commonly, there may be bleeding from the mouth or gastrointestinal tract. The risk of death once infected is about one per cent and frequently occurs within two weeks of the onset of symptoms. Of those who survive, about a quarter have hearing loss, which improves within three months in about half of these cases. The disease is usually initially spread to people via contact with the urine or faeces of an infected multimammate mouse. Other rodents can also act as carriers of the virus. Spread can then occur via direct contact between people. Diagnosis based on symptoms is difficult, except by laboratory testing.
Tackling the disease demands proactive actions by the government and the people. The NCDC is taking some commendable steps in managing the crisis, amongst which, is conducting a dynamic risk assessment to determine the appropriate emergency activation level. There is also the expansion of Lassa fever testing laboratories from nine to 13, with others at various stages of upgrading. The NCDC is also said to have conducted rodent control exercises in high-burden states like Edo, Ebonyi, Ondo, and Benue, targeting communities with high case counts by ministries, departments, and agencies. These are positive efforts that need to be extended to other parts of the country.