Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire
NCDC activates EOC for Lassa fever response, as confirmed cases hit 115
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has activated the national multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary Lassa fever Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in response to the Lassa fever outbreak in some parts of the country.
According to the NCDC, the move became necessary given the increase in the number of confirmed Lassa fever cases across the country and a joint risk assessment with partners and sister agencies.
NCDC disclosed that as of January 23, 2022, a total of 115 confirmed cases with 26 deaths (a case fatality ratio of 22.6%) have been reported. These cases were reported from thirty (30) Local Government Areas (LGAs) across eleven (11) States.
“Furthermore, the reports in weeks 1 and 2 show the highest number of confirmed cases recorded in the last four years for the same period,” the agency said.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by rodents infected with the Lassa fever virus.
Person-to-person transmission can also occur, particularly in a hospital environment with inadequate infection control measures. Like several other countries in West Africa, the disease is endemic in Nigeria and is often recorded during the dry season, often between November and May.
Since 2016, NCDC has worked hard to improve diagnostic capacity for the disease.
Currently, seven laboratories can conduct confirmatory tests for Lassa fever in Nigeria and are coordinated by the NCDC National Reference Laboratory (NRL). This has improved active case detection for the disease.
Similarly, care for affected individuals has improved with NCDC providing support to states including the provision of emergency medical and laboratory supplies as well as oral and intravenous Ribavirin for preventive and curative treatment to treatment centres across the country.
