31-year Old Physician Died Of Lassa Fever  – NCDC 

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has confirmed that a 31-year-old physician  died of Lassa fever in Ondo State, after returning from a trip to the United Kingdom. A statement by its Director-General, Jide Idris said NCDC was notified of a confirmed case of Lassa fever by the Ondo State Ministry of Health, in a 31-year old physician managed at a private health facility in Ondo State after returning from a trip abroad. According to him, the patient departed Nigeria on February 19 and returned on February 27. Samples were taken late on Friday, February 28 on suspicion of Lassa fever, but he unfortunately passed away in the early hours of Saturday, March 1. 

He informed that laboratory investigation returned a positive Lassa Fever result on Tuesday, March 4. The patient was said to have visited his fiancée in Edo State, as well as family and friends before traveling. 

Idris noted that to enhance state and international level coordination, Ondo State Ministry of Health  bolstered control and management efforts through contact tracing and line listing of contacts of the confirmed case, all necessary in-country structures have been mobilised to ensure that all possible contacts are traced and monitored, port health services involvement in contact tracing and line listing of in-flight contacts to bolster surveillance efforts at the points of entry and information shared with all relevant authorities in line with the International Health Regulations, 2005, and contact tracing efforts also ongoing in the UK.

“In line with our mandate, NCDC continues to monitor the occurrence and trend of several diseases nationwide. These include Lassa Fever and other viral hemorrhagic fevers, Meningitis, Diphtheria, Cholera, Ebola, etc. This advisory is on Lassa Fever  and necessitated by the recent confirmed case with international travel to the UK. As always, this is the usual update by the organisation..

“Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by  Lassa virus. The natural reservoir for the virus is the multimammate rat (also known as the African rat). Other rodents can also act as carriers”.

He said cases are recorded all year round with peak transmission periods within October to May every year. Cumulatively, as at Epi-week 9 ( February 24 to March 2), 2728 suspected cases; 535 confirmed cases and unfortunately, 98 deaths have been recorded across 14 states in Nigeria (Case Fatality Rate 18.3 percent). 

“Five states account for 91 percent of confirmed cases: Ondo: 31 percent, Bauchi: 24 percent, Edo: 17 percent, Taraba: 16 percent, and Ebonyi:  three percent. Ten local government areas make up 68 percent of confirmed cases, namely Owo, Akure South, Etsako West, Kirfi, Akoko South-West, Bali, Esan North-East, Bauchi, Toro and Jalingo.