NCDC confirms 982 Lassa fever cases, 168 deaths

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday announced that suspected Lassa fever cases in the country have risen to 7,973, with 982 confirmed cases.

The cases were recorded across 127 Local Government Areas in 28 states between January and August 25, 2024.
Data also showed that 168 deaths (including 17 probable) were recorded, with a case fatality rate of 17.1 per cent.

So far, the report stated that 34 healthcare workers have been affected.

Regarding response activities, the Director General of the centre, Dr. Jide Idris, said the agency had conducted the 2024 National Lassa Fever After Action Review workshop, held multisectoral Lassa Fever webinar series, and participated in the LF Taskforce Secretariat Meeting with CEPI, among other initiatives.

On the action plan, he added that there had been high-level advocacy to the Governors’ and Commissioners’ Forum to secure necessary political and financial support, as well as to ensure commitment and resources for outbreak response.

Other action plans, according to him, include: “Stepping up Risk Communication and Community Engagement interventions, including broadcasting key prevention messages on radio and TV stations in local languages from September, and sustaining the narrative throughout the peak season. Also, supporting states to conduct operational readiness one month before the outbreak season, and conducting environmental sanitation and deratisation exercises in five hotspot states to reduce the rodent population to the barest minimum by October 2024.

“Early deployment of the National Rapid Response Team to support readiness actions and response, and deploying surge staff, including clinicians, laboratorians, IPC specialists, and contact tracers, from October, sustaining interventions throughout the outbreak season.”

He urged Nigerians to take precautionary measures to combat the disease.