The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a total of 366 deaths from Lassa fever and meningitis in 24 states.

The NCDC, via its official website on Friday, highlighted the continued public health challenge posed by these diseases.

From January 1 to May 18, the centre confirmed 733 cases of Lassa fever from 5,118 suspected infections across 18 states and 95 local government areas.

Within the same period, it said it recorded 141 Lassa fever-related deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 19.2 per cent.

The NCDC said that in week 20 alone, new infections jumped from three to 13 cases in Edo, Ondo, and Benue.

“The case fatality rate stands at 19.2 per cent, slightly higher than 18.3 per cent in 2024, indicating that one in five people infected is dying, in spite of coordinated national efforts,” the NCDC warned.

It stated that the hotspot states for Lassa fever include Ondo (30 per cent), Bauchi (25 per cent), and Edo (17 per cent), which together account for 72 per cent of all confirmed cases.

The centre said that the disease was hitting young adults hardest, particularly those aged 21 to 30 years, with a nearly equal male-to-female ratio.

It noted that no new infections among healthcare workers were reported in the past week but highlighted a surge in cases and called for heightened vigilance.

The agency said that a multi-sectoral incident management system has been activated to coordinate response efforts nationwide.

On the meningitis front, the centre said the figures were more alarming.

The NCDC said that from 2,911 suspected cases, 192 have been confirmed and 225 lives lost, translating to a case fatality rate of 7.7 per cent.

The agency said children aged five to 14 were the most affected, with males accounting for 60 per cent of all reported infections.

It stated that the outbreak had reached 24 states and 173 LGAs, with 10 northern states, including Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, and Jigawa, reporting 97 per cent of the suspected cases.

In response, the NCDC has activated a national Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate interventions in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, and development partners.

It said that regular high-level meetings with affected states were ongoing to streamline containment strategies.

“We are providing continuous technical support to high-burden states and reinforcing outbreak preparedness across the country,” the NCDC said.

Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted primarily through contact with the urine or faeces of infected rats.

It can also spread from person to person through bodily fluids, contaminated objects, or infected medical equipment.

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, and, in severe cases, bleeding from body openings.

(NAN)