Lassa fever kills two health workers as NCDC confirms 15 nationwide cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued a warning over a worrying surge in Lassa fever infections, highlighting the impact on frontline healthcare workers. According to the agency, two medical professionals have tragically lost their lives, and 15 others have been infected during the ongoing outbreak.

In its latest advisory on Monday, the NCDC reported that surveillance data up to Epidemiological Week 7 indicates a significant increase in cases among healthcare personnel. The infections have been documented across several states, including Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Benue—regions already recognized as high-burden zones for Lassa fever.

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.