Nigerian Govt warns of impending Lassa fever surge

The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has warned of a looming surge in cases of Lassa fever in the country.

The Director General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, gave the warning at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja, saying that although the country had experienced a decline in cases of various diseases, it is approaching the Lassa fever season, which typically occurs annually.

“Given the seasonal nature of Lassa fever, we anticipate a potential increase in cases over the next few months.

“As such, we are proactively intensifying our preparedness efforts to mitigate the impact of the expected surge,” he said.

According to him, the country had reported 7,973 suspected Lassa fever cases, with 982 confirmed cases and 168 deaths, resulting in a 17.1 percent case fatality rate.

He announced a decline in disease outbreaks across the country, with a significant reduction in reported yellow fever, diphtheria, and cholera cases, adding that as of September, 1,728 suspected yellow fever cases had been reported, of which 43 tested positive.

Idris stated that 36 states of the federation and the FCT had been affected, and 496 Local Government Areas had reported cases.

At the media briefing, members of the technical working group said that in 2024, the country reported a total of 12,085 suspected diphtheria cases across 21 states and 170 local government areas.

DAILY POST reports that diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by corynebacterium diphtheriae, which affects the throat and nose.

It is highly contagious and can lead to severe complications if left untreated.

According to the NCDC, out of the suspected cases, 7,784 cases have been confirmed.

It further stated that in Epidemic week 35, there had been 20 suspected cases reported with 12 confirmed cases in three states and from nine Local Government Areas.