Health
Lassa fever: NCDC identifies preparedness gaps, unveils readiness plan ahead of peak season
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified delays in seeking care, healthcare worker infections and gaps in the functionality of health facilities as key challenges that could undermine Nigeria’s preparedness for the 2026/2027 Lassa fever season.
The health agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, disclosed this in an advisory issued on Wednesday ahead of the peak Lassa fever season, which usually occurs between November and April.
Mr Idris said although Lassa fever occurs throughout the year, the period before the peak season provides an opportunity for the government, health facilities and communities to strengthen preparedness before cases increase.
Lessons from 2026 response
According to him, an After Action Review conducted following the 2026 Lassa fever response identified several gaps requiring urgent attention.
These include delays in seeking appropriate care, self-treatment and patients visiting multiple healthcare providers before Lassa fever is suspected.
Mr Idris also identified continued infections among healthcare workers, particularly when health facilities are under pressure, as well as environmental and household risks linked to poor sanitation, unsafe food storage and exposure to rodents.
He said the review also found limited state ownership and over-reliance on national resources, alongside delays in releasing resources required for preparedness.
Another concern, according to the Mr Idris, was the gap between capacity available “on paper” and what is actually functional.
“For example, having a dialysis machine does not mean dialysis is available if the trained personnel, consumables, water treatment, maintenance and other requirements needed to operate it are not in place,” he said.
Mr Idris said the lessons showed the need to strengthen the entire pathway from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, referral and treatment.
Readiness plan
To address the gaps, Mr Idris said the NCDC had developed an Accelerated Readiness Plan to guide preparedness activities before the peak season.
He said the plan would be implemented nationwide, with additional attention and resources directed to areas where available evidence shows that the burden and risk are highest.
The priorities include earlier detection and reporting of cases, improved environmental sanitation and waste management, safer food storage and handling, and reducing exposure to rodents.
The NCDC will also work to ensure that healthcare providers recognise suspected Lassa fever cases early, protect themselves, report cases and refer patients appropriately.
Mr Idris said the agency would strengthen the transportation and testing of samples, ensure results are returned promptly, and take coordinated action around confirmed cases involving surveillance, environmental health, community engagement, food safety and infection prevention.
He said infection prevention and control measures would be intensified in high-risk facilities through strategies including the IPC Ring Strategy.
In addition, treatment centres will also be supported to ensure they are ready to receive and manage patients, while essential medicines, laboratory supplies and protective equipment are available where needed.
“Think Lassa. Protect. Report. Refer,” Mr Idris urged healthcare workers, adding that every healthcare worker infection should be investigated and lessons from such infections used to prevent further transmission.
Nigerians urged to prepare
Mr Idris urged Nigerians to take practical steps to reduce their risk of infection before the peak season.
He advised households to store food such as rice, garri, beans and maize in properly covered containers and avoid drying food on bare ground or anywhere rodents can contaminate it.
He also urged people to block openings through which rodents can enter homes, reduce clutter, dispose of refuse properly and avoid unnecessary contact with rodents, their urine, faeces and other body fluids.
He advised Nigerians with fever or other symptoms, particularly those living in or who have travelled to areas where Lassa fever occurs, to seek medical attention promptly.
“If you have treated what you believe to be malaria and your symptoms persist, please do not continue treating yourself at home. Seek appropriate medical attention,” he said.
The NCDC, he noted, will also intensify its “Turn a Community Orange” (TACO) approach in selected high-risk communities to promote preventive practices, preparedness and early reporting and referral.
States, LGs asked to act early
Speaking on collective action, Mr Jide called on state and local governments, particularly those with recurrent Lassa fever transmission, to strengthen preparedness before cases increase.
He urged them to improve environmental sanitation and waste management, engage Environmental Health Officers and community structures, and ensure that health facilities can recognise suspected cases, protect healthcare workers, report promptly and refer appropriately.
States were also asked to ensure functional surveillance systems, clear laboratory referral pathways and ready treatment centres, while making essential medicines, laboratory supplies and infection prevention commodities available before the health system comes under pressure.
Support
Mr Idris said the NCDC would continue to support research into changing patterns of Lassa fever transmission, including whether rodents other than Mastomys species may contribute to transmission and the role of asymptomatic infection.
READ ALSO: Lassa Fever: 53 health workers infected as cases hit 1,000 in 2026
He said genomic sequencing would be used to better understand these patterns, while the agency would continue supporting efforts towards developing candidate Lassa fever vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests.
Mr Idris stressed that Lassa fever prevention and control required collaboration among the health, environment, agriculture, livestock and local government sectors, as well as communities and partners.
“We have an opportunity to act before transmission increases. We should not wait for cases to rise before we act. The time to prepare is now,” he said.
Lassa fever
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, which is transmitted to humans primarily through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected rats.
It can also spread from person to person through contact with bodily fluids.
The disease often begins with fever, weakness, and headache, and may progress to more severe symptoms such as bleeding, difficulty breathing, swelling, and organ failure.
Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with Ribavirin are critical for improving survival.
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Uganda’s Ministry of Health has urged the public to remain calm and vigilant following Nigeria’s confirmation of an Ebola case, clarifying that the infected woman’s transit through Uganda does not establish that she contracted the virus there.
In a public statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry said preliminary information indicated that the Nigerian woman travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for business and passed through Uganda in early October without showing symptoms.
She reportedly developed symptoms after arriving in Nigeria, where authorities have confirmed an Ebola infection.
“The location of exposure remains under investigation,” the ministry said, adding that travel through Uganda alone was insufficient to establish where the infection occurred.
The clarification comes as Nigeria intensifies its response to the confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with health authorities beginning contact tracing to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, confirmed the case on Tuesday. The patient is receiving treatment in isolation at a private hospital in the FCT, while 44 close contacts, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts, have been identified.
Active cases
The Ugandan health ministry said it had no confirmed active Ebola cases as of the time of its statement.
It also said the Nigerian government had yet to provide detailed information about the woman’s travel itinerary and clinical history, which it said would help guide further investigations and any necessary contact tracing.
The Ugandan health ministry said it was working with relevant agencies to strengthen screening and public health controls at points of entry, following the development.
It added that limited provisions had been maintained for humanitarian and diplomatic movements.
The ministry urged residents to practise regular handwashing and use sanitiser as part of efforts to reduce the risk of infection. It also pledged to provide verified updates through its official communication channels.
Regional outbreak
Nigeria’s confirmed case comes amid an ongoing Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC, with infections also reported in other countries.
Kenya, which confirmed its first imported case in early October, reported a ninth case on Tuesday. Its health ministry said all nine cases belonged to one known cluster, with the eight surviving patients responding well to supportive care.
The first Kenyan patient had travelled from the DRC through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi. The development has heightened regional concerns about the movement of the virus across borders.
Uganda also recorded Ebola infections earlier in 2026 but subsequently declared its outbreak over after completing the required period without a new confirmed case.
Nigeria’s current case has renewed attention on the risks posed by international travel during an outbreak, as public health authorities work to establish the source of infection and prevent further transmission.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated materials. Symptoms can include fever, headache, severe weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Health authorities have advised the public to maintain good hand hygiene, avoid contact with the bodily fluids of suspected cases and promptly report possible exposure to public health officials.
Investigations into the Nigerian case and the circumstances surrounding the patient’s travel remain ongoing.
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Kenya has confirmed a ninth case of Ebola, with health authorities saying all eight surviving patients are improving.
The latest Kenyan case involves a 24-year-old man who is a close relative of the first patient. He developed symptoms while in quarantine and tested positive on 19 October, according to the Kenyan Ministry of Health.
In a statement published on its X account on Tuesday and signed by Patrick Amoth, the Director-General for Health, the ministry said all nine cases belonged to one known cluster, with no evidence of transmission beyond the group.
Kenya’s first patient was a 40-year-old man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi on 3 October. He died at a Nairobi hospital on 5 October.
Treatment and contact tracing
The ministry said the eight surviving patients were stable and responding well to supportive care. It added that it had received 500 doses of medicine to support treatment for confirmed patients.
Contact tracing has also progressed, with 134 of the 135 identified contacts (99.3 per cent) traced and placed in quarantine.
The ministry said contacts who entered quarantine on 6 October and remain symptom-free would complete their 21-day monitoring period and begin returning home from 25 October.
It added that authorities had distributed protective equipment, diagnostic kits, and sample-collection materials to high-risk counties, and established a dedicated laboratory at Kenyatta National Hospital to support testing and prevent disruption to other hospital laboratory services.
Kenya, it noted, has not imposed restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings. The cases in Kenya are linked to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC, where the Bundibugyo virus has caused thousands of infections and deaths.
WHO reported more than 8,700 confirmed cases and more than 4,200 deaths in the DRC as of 6 October, with transmission continuing across dozens of health zones.
Nigeria confirms first case
The Kenyan update comes as Nigeria confronts its own Ebola infection, with the federal government confirming the first case in Abuja on Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the patient was a woman who arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda. She is receiving treatment in isolation at a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement signed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, the federal government said it had begun contact tracing and identified 44 close contacts, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, and travel contacts.
The government urged healthcare facilities nationwide to remain vigilant, promptly isolate suspected cases, maintain strict infection prevention measures and report suspected infections to public health authorities.
The development has heightened concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly as the outbreak in East and Central Africa coincides with frequent international travel and movement between countries.
Nigeria’s response includes surveillance, laboratory testing, isolation and contact tracing to identify possible infections and limit further transmission.
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