Lassa Fever: NCDC registers seven cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says it registered seven additional new cases of Lassa fever from Edo, Bauchi and Kogi states.

READ ALSO:Lassa Fever cases rise significantly with 162 deaths in 2024

The NCDC said this via its official website on Friday, adding that the seven cases were recorded between July 22 and July 28.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic (excessive bleeding) illness transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or persons.

Its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains, chest pain, and in severe cases, unexplained bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings.

NCDC said Edo reported four cases, Bauchi two, while Kogi recorded one with no deaths recorded during the period under review.

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It said 163 deaths were, however,  reported in 2024, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 17.0 per cent, lower than the 17.3 per cent recorded during same period in 2023.

The public health agency added that 66 per cent of confirmed cases in 2024 were from Ondo, Edo and Bauchi, while 34 per cent were reported from 25 states.

“In total for 2024, 28 states recorded at least one confirmed case of Lassa fever across 125 local government areas,” it noted.

The agency listed some of the challenges in the fight against Lassa fever to include late presentation of cases leading to increase in CFR and poor health-seeking behavior due to high cost of treatment, as well as clinical management of the disease.

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Others are poor environmental sanitation conditions observed in high-burden communities and poor awareness in communities.

The center, which stated that individuals between the ages of 31 and 40 were those predominantly affected in the reporting period, however, added that no health worker was infected.

It explained that the surge highlighted the growing concern and the need for heightened surveillance and preventive measures across the country.

The public health agency urged the public to adhere to recommended safety protocols and to report any symptoms to local health authourities promptly.

The NCDC said it was also intensifying efforts to trace contacts and implement control measures to curb the spread of the disease.

The agency said it would continue to monitor the situation closely and work with state health authourities to ensure coordinated response.

“The National Lassa Fever Multi-partner, Multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) will also continue to coordinate responses at all levels,” it added.