The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has confirmed Lassa Fever as the cause of death for three health workers and one patient at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna (44 NARHK), Kaduna State.
The Director-General of NCDC, Jide Idris, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, noting that four of the six blood samples from suspected cases at the hospital sent to the Bayero University Teaching Hospital in Kano have been confirmed for Lassa fever.
Following earlier reports from the army’s medical authorities, which linked the symptoms of the deceased to what it described as acute Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF), the Kaduna State Government ordered an immediate investigation.
Giving the total number of cases, the NCDC DG reported that Nigeria has recorded 2,621 suspected Lassa fever cases, with 476 confirmed and 84 deaths as of February 18, 2024.
In a bid to curb the spread, Idris said Incident Management System has taken distribution of medical supplies for case management, infection prevention and control, and laboratory diagnosis for all Lassa fever treatment to centres across the country.
He noted that the agency has also started capacity-building exercises of some healthcare workers across all the geopolitical zones on Lassa fever preparedness, readiness, and response through the pilot Lassa fever clinical management fellowship.