Katsina State has recorded a new case of Lassa fever, bringing the total infections to three. Two deaths occurred on Wednesday, one in Kafur and the other in Funtua. The third patient, a woman whose husband recently died from the disease, is recovering in an isolation center.
Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina, Mohammed Abubakar, commended the hospital’s emergency response committee for isolating the patient quickly, preventing further spread.
Abubakar warned that this year’s outbreak is more severe, with a higher case fatality rate than the usual 10–30%. From January to date, Nigeria has reported over 1,000 suspected and confirmed cases, including about 145 deaths.
Unlike previous outbreaks in the North-East and South-South, over 90% of cases this year are in Benue, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Plateau states. Factors include climate change, insecurity, population displacement, poor sanitation, and increased contact with rodents.
Abubakar urged health workers to treat every fever case cautiously, strictly use PPE, and advised residents to avoid contact with rodents. Parents were warned not to allow children to hunt rats, as the multimammate rat is the main carrier. He called on the government to speed up lab testing for timely treatment and commended the Katsina State Government for providing drugs and support.
Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic illness endemic in West Africa. It spreads through contact with food or items contaminated by infected Mastomys rats’ urine or faces. Symptoms include fever, weakness, headache, sore throat, and in severe cases, bleeding, facial swelling, breathing difficulties, and shock.
