It is bad enough that the disease was named after a village in Nigeria, but it is even more depressing that since 1969, Lassa fever has continued to claim the lives of hundreds of people in the country. Even though there have been efforts in the past to contain the scourge, Nigeria has been witnessing frequent outbreaks in recent years. This, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) “could be attributed to reduced response capacity in surveillance and laboratory testing.” The symptoms, which include fever, sore throat, vomiting, back pain, cough, abdominal pain, and general body weakness usually appear six to 21 days after contact with the virus.     

Latest figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reveal a total of 1,552 suspected cases, 358 confirmed cases and 70 deaths from Lassa fever since the beginning of the year. Nigeria, according to the NCDC Director General, Jide Idris, has continued to witness a steady increase in the number of states reporting Lassa fever cases due to environmental degradation from climate change, and other harmful human activities. “Heads of households are unable to work when exposed to Lassa fever and when other household members are infected, the cost of care and treatment of the disease which is often significant strains existing household income pushing households toward poverty in a swift turn of events,” Idris stated.

   The onset of the disease is usually gradual, starting with fever. However, because the symptoms of Lassa fever are so varied and non-specific, clinical diagnosis is often difficult, especially early in the course of the disease. For that reason, steps should be taken by the government, at all levels, to emphasise routine infection prevention and control measures. Healthcare workers should also be advised to always be careful to avoid contact with blood and bodily fluids in the process of caring for sick persons.    

Experts have advised that people should ensure their food (cooked or uncooked) is properly covered while regular handwashing should be adhered to always. The bush around the home should also be cleared regularly while windows and doors should be closed especially when it is nighttime. The public should also be adequately enlightened on the dangers posed by rats in their homes. This should be the responsibility of both the federal ministry of environment and that of information that can deploy the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for a public awareness campaign on the issue.    

Against the background of repeated commitments by various stakeholders to prevent a recurrence of this disease, what the current outbreak has shown clearly is that if indeed there have been any preventive strategies, they were not implemented. And if implemented, they are not working. We therefore believe that the authorities need to do more if we are ever to rid the nation of the disease that claims the lives of dozens of our citizens on an annual basis. With effective coordination, the current outbreak can be contained quickly before it becomes another national epidemic. But the real challenge is to work towards its total eradication from Nigeria. More attention should be paid to developing the Lassa fever vaccines.