The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has reissued an advisory to all healthcare workers, urging personnel to take every necessary measure to protect themselves from Lassa fever infection and the associated mortalities.
The concerns follow the recent surge in Lassa fever infections among healthcare workers, with 15 confirmed cases and 2 deaths recorded as of Epidemiological Week 7.
The agency’s surveillance data indicate that healthcare worker infections have been reported across multiple states, including the known high-burden areas such as Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Benue, with specific hotspots often identified at the LGA level.
It noted gaps in Infection Prevention and Control, IPC, practices, as well as missed risks of exposure in certain departments, warning that the gaps have resulted in IPC strategies that are misaligned with actual exposure risks, resulting in fatal consequences.
The NCDC in an advisory signed by its Director General, Dr Jide Idris, pointed out the key drivers of healthcare worker infections, including low index of suspicion and IPC gaps, outpatient and general ward vulnerability, risk among Non-clinical staff, delayed care-seeking and community-level exposure.
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