The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has recorded one death and 15 newly confirmed instances of Lassa fever throughout the nation within a single week. This data is outlined in the Week 13 situation report, which the NCDC has published on its website.
Notably, there has been a decrease in confirmed cases compared to the previous week, dropping from 25 cases to 15. Over the span of Weeks one to 13, the country has logged a total of 806 confirmed cases and 150 fatalities, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 18.6 percent, slightly higher than the previous year’s rate.
Twenty-five states have reported at least one confirmed case, spanning 125 local government areas in 2024, with Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states collectively accounting for 62 percent of all confirmed cases. Fortunately, no healthcare workers were infected during the reporting period.
Individuals aged 31 to 40 were primarily affected by the infection. The National Lassa Fever Multi-partner, Multi-sectoral Incident Management System has been activated to coordinate responses across all levels. Challenges highlighted in the fight against Lassa fever include delayed case presentations and suboptimal health-seeking behavior.
