NIGERIA— The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported a total of 168 deaths from Lassa fever, including 17 classified as probable, between January and August 2024.
This figure corresponds to a case fatality rate of 17.1% out of the 7,973 suspected cases documented across 127 local government areas in 28 states.
According to the NCDC’s most recent update, 982 cases of Lassa fever were confirmed over this time period, with 34 healthcare professionals also infected.
In response to this crisis, the NCDC has taken many steps to manage and control the outbreak, including a detailed response plan published by Dr. Jide Idris, the NCDC’s Director General.
These include conducting the 2024 National Lassa Fever After Action Review workshop, hosting a series of multisectoral Lassa Fever webinars, and participating in the Lassa Fever Taskforce Secretariat Meeting in collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
To secure essential political and financial support, the NCDC has engaged in high-level advocacy with both governors and commissioners.
Dr. Idris emphasized that the agency is committed to mobilizing adequate resources for effective outbreak response.
The NCDC is intensifying risk communication and community engagement efforts as part of its strategic action plan.
Starting in September, the agency will broadcast key prevention messages in local languages across radio and TV stations, maintaining this crucial messaging throughout the peak of the outbreak season.
Moreover, the NCDC supports states in conducting operational readiness assessments one month before the outbreak season.
To combat the rodent population, which is a primary vector for the disease, the agency is implementing environmental sanitation and deratization measures in five high-risk states, aiming for a substantial reduction by October 2024.
Additionally, strategies are being implemented to enhance response capabilities, including the early deployment of the National Rapid Response Team to support preparedness and response activities.
From October onward, the NCDC plans to deploy surge staff, including clinicians, laboratorians, infection prevention and control (IPC) specialists, and contact tracers, to sustain interventions throughout the outbreak season.
Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus, is transmitted to humans through contaminated food or household goods tainted with rodent urine or faeces. It can also spread through contact with rat saliva, urine, and excreta.
In healthcare settings with inadequate infection control measures, person-to-person transmission and laboratory-acquired infections are possible.
Approximately 80% of individuals infected with the Lassa virus are asymptomatic. In cases where symptoms do appear, they may resemble malaria and typically develop within one to three weeks following infection.
Symptoms can include fever, lethargy, weakness, and headaches. Severe cases, affecting about 20% of infections, can lead to multi-organ involvement, impacting the liver, spleen, and kidneys.
Lassa fever, named after the Nigerian town where it was first identified in 1969, is endemic in several West African countries including Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria.
In some regions, such as parts of Sierra Leone and Liberia, Lassa fever accounts for 10-16% of hospital admissions each year.
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