By James Nneemeka
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has raised concern over a surge in Lassa fever infections across 18 states and 67 Local Government Areas, citing operational gaps at the state level as a key driver of sustained transmission and fatalities.
Director-General Dr. Jide Idris disclosed that Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue account for more than 80 per cent of confirmed cases during the 2026 peak season.
He highlighted growing infections among healthcare workers, with 28 cases and three deaths reported so far.
Investigations point to lapses in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), weak contact tracing, delayed patient presentation, and poor isolation standards.
Dr. Idris urged state governments, as primary implementers of outbreak response within Nigeria’s federal system, to strengthen accountability and resource allocation.
He called for immediate activation and monitoring of State Incident Management Systems, timely release of response funds, strict IPC compliance, prepositioning of PPE, and institutionalised environmental sanitation and rodent control under a One Health framework.
He further advised healthcare workers to maintain vigilance, adhere strictly to IPC measures, and urged the public to keep environments clean, store food safely, prevent rodent entry, and seek prompt medical attention for symptoms.
Dr. Idris reiterated that Lassa fever is treatable, with significantly improved outcomes when detected early.
The NCDC continues to monitor other epidemic-prone diseases including Cerebrospinal Meningitis, Diphtheria, Mpox, and Cholera, and maintains a toll-free line, 6232, for reporting suspected cases and obtaining information
