Lassa Fever Emergency Operations Center activated by NCDC

Through the Emergency Operations Center, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is coordinating response operations at all levels by means of a multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System.

This was announced by the center on its official website.

According to the NCDC, the action was required because it had identified 5,669 possible cases of Lassa fever, which had led to 152 fatalities and an 18.3% Case Fatality Rate (CFR).

From January to April 14, 832 cases had been confirmed in 27 states and 126 Local Government Areas, according to the Center.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Lassa virus, which is prevalent in some regions of West Africa, causes Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic sickness that is mostly spread by contact with the urine or feces of infected Mastomys rats.

Additionally, Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria are endemic for the disease.

Both laboratory infections and person-to-person transmission are possible, particularly in hospital environments with insufficient infection prevention and control protocols.

With a case fatality rate of 1% overall and roughly 15% for severe cases, early diagnosis and treatment are essential.

The public health agency report for week 15 indicated an increase in new confirmed cases, with 152 deaths reported so far in 2024, higher than the same period in 2023.

“Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states accounted for 65 per cent of confirmed cases.

”The predominant age group is 31 to 40 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1:1,” the centre was quoted as saying.

The report also highlights an increase in suspected cases compared to the previous year and notes 32 infections among healthcare workers.

The centre said that prevention of Lassa fever involves avoiding contact with rodents and their droppings, practicing good personal hygiene, and taking precautions when caring for infected individuals.

NAN