Lassa Fever deaths rise in Nigeria

NIGERIA—The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 54 new cases of Lassa fever and 10 deaths between December 30, 2024, and January 5, 2025.

According to its latest situation report for the first week of 2025, the number of new confirmed cases dropped from 70 in the previous week to 54.

This follows an earlier report from August 2024, which documented 168 deaths from Lassa fever, including 17 classified as probable, between January and August.

During this period, 7,973 suspected cases were recorded across 127 local government areas (LGAs) in 28 states, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 17.1%.

A total of 982 cases were confirmed, and 34 healthcare workers were infected.

The most recent update shows a concerning rise in suspected cases compared to the same period in 2024.

So far, Nigeria has recorded 10 deaths this year, with a CFR of 18.5%, which is significantly higher than the 11.3% CFR for the same period last year.

Six states—Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Kogi—have reported at least one confirmed case across 20 LGAs. Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi account for 78% of all confirmed cases.

 Specifically, Ondo reported 35%, Edo 28%, and Bauchi 15%, with no healthcare workers infected in the reporting week. The disease predominantly affects individuals aged 20 to 31.

In 2024, Nigeria saw a significant burden of Lassa fever, with 9,685 suspected cases, 1,187 confirmed cases, and 191 deaths across 28 states and 138 LGAs.

This rise in cases is consistent with the typical peak season for Lassa fever, which runs from December to April during the dry season.

The NCDC has highlighted several challenges in managing Lassa fever outbreaks.

These include the late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behavior, high treatment costs, poor environmental sanitation in high-risk communities, and a lack of awareness about the disease.

Lassa fever is a severe viral illness transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or direct contact with infected individuals.

Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle and chest pain, and, in severe cases, unexplained bleeding from various parts of the body.

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