{"id":2268,"date":"2026-07-26T00:16:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T23:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=2268"},"modified":"2026-07-26T00:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T23:16:51","slug":"lassa-fever-cases-rise-as-ncdc-strengthens-response-across-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=2268","title":{"rendered":"Lassa Fever Cases Rise As NCDC Strengthens Response Across Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Sunday Gift <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has intensified efforts to contain the spread of Lassa fever following a rise in confirmed cases and deaths recorded in several states across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the NCDC, Lassa fever remains one of Nigeria’s most serious public health concerns, especially during the dry season when outbreaks are more common. The agency said hundreds of confirmed cases have been recorded this year, with over 200 deaths reported nationwide, prompting renewed calls for stronger surveillance, early diagnosis, and public awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NCDC disclosed that the states most affected by the outbreak include Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, and Benue, which account for the majority of confirmed infections reported in 2026. Health authorities have expressed concern over the increasing fatality rate and warned that delayed treatment continues to contribute to preventable deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic disease caused by the Lassa virus. It is primarily transmitted through contact with food, water, or household items contaminated by the urine or droppings of infected multimammate rats. The disease can also spread from person to person through direct contact with the blood, urine, saliva, or other body fluids of an infected patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Director-General of the NCDC called on state governments to strengthen emergency response measures, improve disease surveillance, ensure prompt laboratory testing, and provide adequate treatment facilities for infected patients. The agency also urged healthcare workers to maintain strict infection prevention and control measures while treating suspected cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical experts explained that early symptoms of Lassa fever include fever, weakness, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, and vomiting. As the illness progresses, some patients may develop chest pain, facial swelling, bleeding from the mouth or nose, difficulty breathing, and organ failure if treatment is delayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors have advised Nigerians not to assume every fever is malaria, noting that persistent fever that does not improve after malaria treatment should be reported immediately to the nearest health facility for proper diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health officials said Ribavirin, when administered early after diagnosis, can significantly improve a patient’s chances of survival. They therefore encouraged people to seek medical care immediately symptoms appear rather than relying solely on self-medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reduce transmission, the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC have continued contact tracing, laboratory investigations, public enlightenment campaigns, and surveillance activities in affected communities. State governments have also been directed to strengthen emergency operations centres and collaborate with local health authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public health experts advised Nigerians to keep their homes and surroundings clean, properly store food in covered containers, block holes that allow rats into houses, and dispose of refuse appropriately. They also warned against drying food items on the ground where rodents can easily contaminate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents have been encouraged to wash their hands regularly with soap and clean water, avoid contact with people showing symptoms of the disease, and report suspected cases immediately to health authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health professionals noted that while Lassa fever occurs every year in Nigeria, improved awareness, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment can significantly reduce deaths associated with the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NCDC reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring the outbreak and providing regular situation reports until the disease is brought under control. The agency appealed to Nigerians to cooperate with health workers and follow all preventive measures to protect themselves and their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sunday Gift The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has intensified efforts to contain the spread of Lassa fever following a rise in confirmed cases and deaths recorded in several states across the country. According to the NCDC, Lassa fever remains one of Nigeria’s most serious public health concerns, especially during the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,14],"tags":[607,383,606,608],"class_list":["post-2268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcorner","category-trendingnews","tag-health-corner","tag-lassa-fever","tag-ncdc","tag-public-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2268"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2271,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2268\/revisions\/2271"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}