Nigeria has recorded 1,035 confirmed cases of Lassa fever out of 8,569 suspected cases, and 174 deaths in 28 states across 129 local government areas as of October 13, 2024.
The country also recorded 380 confirmed cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis out of 4,915 suspected cases and 361 deaths in 24 states across 174 LGAs in the 2023/2024 season.
The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed the figures on Tuesday at a press briefing in Abuja.
Dr Idris said the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the NCDC, leads efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to cases of Lassa fever across the country every year.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus.
The natural reservoir for the virus is the multimammate rat (also known as the African rat). Other rodents can also act as carriers of the virus.
“We have continued to see a steady increase in the number of states reporting Lassa fever cases. This rise is due, in part, to improved surveillance, better community awareness, environmental degradation from climate change, and other harmful human activities.
“In 2022, Nigeria reported 1,067 confirmed cases across 27 states and 112 LGAs. In 2023, 28 states and 114 LGAs reported confirmed cases, with 9,155 suspected cases, 1,270 confirmed cases, and 227 deaths.
“As of October 13, 2024, 8,569 suspected cases, 1,035 confirmed cases, and 174 deaths have been reported across 28 states and 129 LGAs.
“The disease is also associated with significant loss of livelihood in the communities it ravages.
“Heads of households are unable to work when exposed to Lassa fever and when other household members are infected, the cost of care and treatment of the disease which is often significant strains existing household income, pushing households toward poverty in a swift turn of events,” he stated.
He stressed that Lassa fever outbreaks were highly virulent and the loss of human lives resulting from the disease were not just statistics but represented the death of beloved family members, spouses, and parents.
Speaking on CSM, the NCDC boss noted that the infection was an epidemic-prone disease with cases reported all year in the country.
He, however, said weather conditions, like the dry season that comes with dust, winds, cold nights, and frequent upper respiratory tract infections increase the risk of infection, especially with crowding and poor ventilation.
“The highest burden of CSM in Nigeria occurs in the ‘Meningitis Belt’ which includes all 19 states in the northern region, the Federal Capital Territory, and some southern states such as Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, and Osun.
“In 2023/2024, Nigeria recorded 4,915 suspected and 380 confirmed cases with 361 deaths across 174 LGAs in 24 states, including the FCT.
“A total of 2,281,750 doses of Men5CV- ACWYX in Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa and Yobe covering 134 wards in the 13 LGAs.
“The campaign targeted individuals aged one to 29 years, comprising 70 per cent of the population.
“Despite significant progress in surveillance, diagnostic capacity, and vaccination over the last few years, CSM remains a priority disease and ever-present public health threat in Nigeria with annual outbreaks in high-burden states that present a challenge for people, health systems, economies, and communities,” he highlighted.
He urged Nigerians to receive the appropriate vaccination required to protect against meningitis, avoid close and prolonged contact with a confirmed case of CSM, including relatives, and avoid overcrowding in households, school dormitories, internally displaced persons, prisons, and other communal settings.
The NCDC boss also advised healthcare workers to practice standard infection prevention and control practices, maintain a high index of suspicion for CSM, and report all suspected cases of CSM to their local government disease surveillance and notification officer for immediate access to healthcare.
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