The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported a significant surge in Lassa Fever cases during week 51 of 2023.
This information was released on the official NCDC website on Sunday. During the week, the newly confirmed Lassa Fever cases spiked from 10 in week 50 to 26 cases. These cases were identified in Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, and Plateau States.
The NCDC report
- Cumulatively, from week 1 to week 51 of 2023, a total of 215 deaths were reported, resulting in a case fatality rate of 17.5%, slightly lower than the 17.9% recorded during the same period in 2022.
- Throughout the year 2023, Lassa Fever cases were reported in 28 states across 121 Local Government Areas.
- The majority of confirmed cases, accounting for 77%, were concentrated in Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi States. Specifically, Ondo State reported 35% of the confirmed cases, Edo reported 28%, and Bauchi reported 14%.
- The most affected age group was 21-30 years, with cases ranging from 1 to 93 years, and the median age of confirmed cases was 32 years. The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases was reported as 1:0.9.
- The report highlighted an increase in the number of suspected cases compared to the same period in 2022, and in week 51, two healthcare workers were affected.
In response to the situation, multi-sectoral Public Health Emergency Operation Centres (PHEOC) have been activated at both the national level and in the affected states.
Challenges in combating Lassa Fever were outlined, including the late presentation of cases, resulting in an elevated case fatality rate. Poor health-seeking behavior was also noted due to the high cost of treatment and clinical management.
Additionally, challenges like poor environmental sanitation conditions and low awareness were observed in high-burden communities.
The report, based on case-based data from the National Lassa Fever Emergency Operations Centre, emphasized the symptoms of the disease, including fever, headache, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia, chest pain, and unexplained bleeding/hemorrhage.
The situation underscores the need for heightened public awareness and targeted interventions to curb the spread of Lassa Fever.
