Dr. Joseph Okoeguale, the Director of Viral and Emergent Pathogens Control and Research at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, announced on Monday that Edo State recorded 240 confirmed cases of Lassa fever, resulting in 21 fatalities between December 2023 and March 2024.
During a lecture titled “University Community Collaboration in Lassa Fever Research: Advancing Diagnostic Capacity and Vaccine Development in Nigeria” at the inaugural College of Medical Science Lecture Series hosted by Edo State University Uzairue, Okoeguale highlighted that approximately 37.7 million people across 14 West African countries face an annual risk of Lassa fever, leading to over 5,000 deaths.
He emphasized that Lassa fever is classified as a priority disease for research and development by the World Health Organization (WHO). Notably, only 20% of those infected exhibit symptoms, while the remaining 80% are asymptomatic and often do not seek medical care.
Dr. Okoeguale, a consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology, stressed the importance of prevention and vaccination as essential measures to combat the disease.
He noted that Lassa fever continues to cause fatalities across all age groups and genders, often going undiagnosed.
In response, the WHO has recommended establishing centers of excellence in affected regions, including the Lassa Fever Centre at Kenema General Hospital in Sierra Leone and the Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, also known as the Institute of Viral and Emergent Pathogens Control and Research in Irrua.
Recently, this initiative has expanded to include five centers, with Federal Medical Center Owo, FMC Bauchi, and FETHA in Abakaliki joining the effort.
Okoeguale remarked, “Lassa fever outbreaks have persisted annually, leading to an increase in incidence and geographical spread, affecting both children and adults in Nigeria.”
He added that these yearly outbreaks place a significant burden on Nigeria’s healthcare system, emphasizing that vaccination and prevention are the only viable solutions to eliminate this health crisis.
The director further revealed that the center is designing clinical trials aimed at developing new drugs and vaccines for Lassa fever.
“We have established an ultramodern clinical trial and sequencing center, which will conduct sequencing for the Lassa fever virus, as well as for COVID-19 and Monkeypox viruses. We have recently received approval from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trial Partnership to conduct a platform trial for new Lassa fever drugs,” he stated.
Dr. Okoeguale mentioned ongoing collaborations with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Georgetown University, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to support a clinical fellowship program focused on managing Lassa fever and other infectious diseases.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Dawood Egbefo, Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, highlighted the importance of addressing Lassa fever as a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, affecting countless lives and straining the healthcare system.
