Lassa Fever Outbreak: NCDC Records 14 New Cases, 1 Death In Ondo, Edo, And Bauchi

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 14 new confirmed cases and one death due to a Lassa fever outbreak in Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi States.

NCDC Director-General Jide Idris shared this information in an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

Idris explained that the cases were recorded in these three states between May 6 and May 12 this year, with people aged 31 to 40 most affected.

He also noted that in 2024, 28 out of 36 states reported at least one confirmed case, covering 125 local government areas.

64 per cent of all confirmed cases were from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi, while 36 per cent came from 25 other states. Of the 64 per cent from these three states, Ondo had 25 per cent, Edo 22 per cent, and Bauchi 17 per cent, he said.

The NCDC stated that the National Lassa Fever Multi-Partner, Multi-Sectoral Incident Management System had been activated to coordinate the response at all Emergency Operation Centre levels.

Idris mentioned several challenges in combating Lassa fever, such as late reporting of cases and poor health-seeking behaviour.

He stressed that everyone, regardless of age, is at risk of Lassa fever and urged caution to avoid its severe effects.

He also explained that the virus, transmitted through contact with rat excreta or infected individuals, poses a significant risk to public health. He added that setting traps to eliminate rats within households is nice, as this proactive step also reduces the risk of exposure to infected rodents.

“Avoid handling rats, dead or alive, with bare hands. This simple measure greatly reduces the chance of infection. Be cautious when consuming food items or fruits that may have been exposed to rats,” Idris advised.

Idris added that avoiding such items could reduce the risk of ingesting contaminated food.

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