The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Monday raised concerns over the rising spread of Lassa fever among healthcare workers across the country.
The agency disclosed that 15 confirmed cases have been recorded among health workers, with two fatalities, as Nigeria grapples with another outbreak of the zoonotic disease.
In an advisory issued on Monday, the NCDC expressed sympathy to affected personnel, noting that recent surveillance data show a troubling increase in infections among healthcare workers as of Epidemiological Week 7.
Cases have been reported in several states, including high-burden areas such as Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Benue, with specific hotspots identified at the local government level.
The agency stated that it investigates every healthcare worker infection to determine the drivers of transmission and prevent further spread.
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Findings from recent investigations revealed lapses in infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, as well as unrecognised exposure risks in certain hospital departments.
These gaps, the NCDC warned, have led to IPC measures that do not adequately address actual risk levels, resulting in fatal consequences.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, primarily transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats.
The disease is endemic in Nigeria and several West African countries, including Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), person-to-person transmission and laboratory infections can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings where adequate infection prevention and control measures are lacking.