Nigeria Records 118 Lassa Fever Deaths, 645 Cases In 33 States

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 3,465 suspected cases of Lassa fever, with 645 confirmed infections and 118 deaths between January and March 2025.

The centre stated on Sunday that the outbreak had affected 91 local government areas across 33 states, resulting in a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 18.3 per cent.

The director-general of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed that 20 healthcare workers have been infected across several states, including Ondo (8), Bauchi (4), Edo (1), Taraba (2), Ebonyi (1), Gombe (2), Benue (1), and Ogun (1).

In response to the outbreak, the NCDC said it had deployed Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to 10 states: Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Taraba, Benue, Gombe, and Nasarawa, for a two-week intervention.

Due to the evolving nature of the outbreak, deployments in Edo and Taraba were extended by an additional 10 and seven days, respectively, it explained.

To enhance coordination and response efforts, the NCDC said it had activated the Lassa Fever National Emergency Operations Centre (LF-EOC) at Response Level 2 to facilitate improved collaboration among stakeholders, including federal and state governments, local authorities, and development partners.

The agency said it had also distributed essential medical supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and treatment medications, to affected states.

Despite these efforts, the centre identified response challenges, including weak community-level surveillance and inadequate human and financial resources, which it said had strained treatment efforts, contact tracing, and active case searches.

The NCDC also noted that treatment centres are struggling with manpower shortages, and many patients delay seeking care, often resorting to self-medication and ineffective traditional practices.

Dr Idris has, therefore, called on state governments to support the cost of Lassa fever treatment and urged private sector involvement in ensuring the availability of essential medical supplies and public health awareness campaigns.

He emphasised that preventing Lassa fever requires collective action, even as he advised healthcare workers to maintain high infection prevention and control (IPC) standards and citizens to uphold strict environmental hygiene practices to prevent rodent infestation, a key transmission factor for Lassa fever.

The NCDC sought improved public awareness, early medical intervention, and stronger healthcare infrastructure to combat the outbreak effectively.