At least 80 deaths have been reported across 11 states in Nigeria amid the latest outbreak of Lassa fever, public health authorities said.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said that 413 confirmed cases of Lassa fever have been recorded since the outbreak began in January.
What is Lassa fever?
Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, primarily transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or feces of infected Mastomys rats. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.
The disease is common in West Africa and has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days. While about 80% of infected individuals experience mild or no symptoms, severe cases can lead to multi-organ damage, affecting the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Symptoms include fever, weakness, headaches, vomiting, and, in severe cases, internal bleeding and organ failure. The case fatality rate varies but can be high, especially without prompt medical treatment.
The NCDC reported a case fatality rate of 19.4 percent, noting that three states accounted for 73 percent of the confirmed cases. The southwestern state of Ondo is the worst affected, accounting for at least 34 percent of the total confirmed cases.
The outbreak has spread to 63 of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, primarily affecting individuals aged 21 to 30, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.8, according to the NCDC.
The agency identified poor health-seeking behaviour, high treatment costs in some areas, and limited awareness in high-burden communities as major challenges. In response, it has activated a multi-sectoral incident management system to coordinate nationwide containment efforts, Xinhua news agency reported.
The interventions also include training healthcare workers in Lassa fever case management, enhancing surveillance and contact tracing in affected states, and distributing essential response materials such as personal protective equipment, Ribavirin, thermometers, and body bags. Additionally, community sensitization and risk communication campaigns will be carried out in hotspot areas, the NCDC added.
In 2024, Nigeria recorded 214 deaths from Lassa fever, according to the NCDC.
(with ians inputs)