High Transfer Risk Nigeria – NCDC

• Activates Emergency Operations Center

• Cases rise to 244, death toll reaches 37

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention has activated the national multi-sector Emergency Operations Center for Lassa Fever to coordinate and strengthen ongoing response activities in the country.

This is even if it revealed that the number of confirmed Lassa fever cases has risen to 244 with 37 deaths.

The Lassa fever Emergency Operations Center was activated following the outcome of a risk assessment that placed Nigeria at very high risk of increased Lassa fever transmission.

The review showed an unprecedented upward trend in the number of confirmed cases reported compared to previous years, a higher number of states reporting cases compared to previous years, and an increased risk of infections and deaths among health care workers due to Lassa fever infection.

Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. The natural reservoir for the virus is the rodent Mastomys natalensis (commonly known as the multimammate rat or African rat). Other rodents can also be carriers of the virus.

In a press statement signed by the NCDC’s Director General, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, on Monday, the agency said the aim of the EOC’s activation was to achieve a coordinated national response and, especially in affected states, to interrupt the transmission of disease, reduce the impact of the disease through suffering and death, and other socio-economic complications of this disease.

The statement read in part: “The LF-EOC was activated following a risk assessment conducted on January 20, 2023 by subject matter experts from the NCDC, relevant ministries, departments and agencies, stakeholders and key partners. The outcome of the risk assessment placed the country at a very high risk of increased transmission of Lassa fever.

“The January 22, 2023 situation report showed a total of 244 confirmed cases with 37 deaths and a 15.1% fatality rate from 16 states and the FCT – Ondo (90), Edo (89), Bauchi (13), Taraba (10) , Benue (9), Ebonyi (9), Nasarawa (7), Plateau (5), Kogi (4), Anambra (2), Delta (1), Oyo (1), Adamawa (1), Enugu (1) , Imo (1) and FCT (1).

“Infection and death among healthcare workers accounted for five and one of the confirmed cases and deaths, respectively, highlighting the need for an increased index of distrust among healthcare workers.

“Healthcare is a collective responsibility of communities and governments at all levels. While the NCDC is mandated to lead the prevention, emergency preparedness and response to public health emergencies, we rely on the cooperation and support of states in the development and implementation of evidence-based outbreak response plans for their territories.

It noted that prior to the activation of EOC, the Nigerian government, through the NCDC’s multi-sectoral Lassa Fever Technical Working Group, had taken steps to respond to rising cases of Lassa fever.

It added that the government had repositioned medicines and raw materials to support Lassa fever management, deployed national rapid response teams in hotspot states to support contact tracing, case management, risk communication and community involvement, among other things.