The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has raised fresh concerns over the rising spread of Lassa fever, revealing that two healthcare workers have died and 15 others have been infected in the current outbreak.
In an advisory issued on Monday, the agency said surveillance data up to Epidemiological Week 7 shows a troubling increase in infections among medical personnel. The cases have been recorded across several states, including Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Benue—areas already identified as high-burden zones for the disease.
The NCDC noted that it investigates every confirmed infection involving healthcare workers to determine how exposure occurred and to prevent further transmission. However, recent assessments uncovered gaps in infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, as well as overlooked exposure risks in certain hospital departments. According to the agency, these weaknesses have led to IPC measures that do not fully match actual risk levels, contributing to the fatalities.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness transmitted primarily through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats. The disease remains endemic in Nigeria and other West African countries.
The World Health Organization explains that, in addition to rodent-to-human transmission, the virus can also spread from person to person, particularly in healthcare settings where adequate infection control measures are lacking.
Since the major outbreak in 2016, Nigeria has continued to record seasonal surges in cases, prompting renewed calls for stricter adherence to safety protocols within medical facilities and improved public health awareness nationwide.
Post A Comment: