The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued an urgent health advisory following the detection of a Hantavirus cluster, marking a new challenge for a public health system already battling endemic Lassa fever.
The advisory outlines the risk of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory disease spread through the aerosolised droppings and urine of infected rodents. While the NCDC maintains that the risk of a widespread outbreak remains low due to the lack of human-to-human transmission, independent health experts are calling for a more rigorous assessment of state-level readiness.
One of the primary concerns for clinicians is the clinical similarity between Hantavirus and Lassa fever, both of which are rodent-borne and present initially with high fever and muscle aches.
“The overlapping symptoms create a significant diagnostic hurdle for rural health workers,” says an epidemiologist with the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA). “Without rapid, decentralised testing, there is a high risk of misdiagnosis, which is critical because the management protocols for HFRS and Lassa fever differ significantly.”
Currently, definitive testing is centralised at the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja, a logistical bottleneck that experts argue could delay life-saving interventions in remote clusters.
The NCDC advisory highlights that HPS has a mortality rate of approximately 38%, noting that there is no specific vaccine or antiviral treatment. Management relies heavily on early intensive care and mechanical ventilation.
However, the “high alert” status of tertiary institutions has been met with scepticism regarding equipment availability. A recent survey of isolation centres suggests that while some facilities were upgraded during the COVID-19 pandemic, many currently face maintenance issues with ventilators and a shortage of specialised oxygen delivery systems.
In response to the cluster, the NCDC is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to conduct rodent trapping and environmental sampling. This effort aims to identify the specific reservoir species to better target public awareness campaigns.
To mitigate risk, the NCDC recommends:
Environmental Hygiene: Sealing holes in homes and eliminating outdoor food sources that attract rodents.
Safe Cleaning: Avoiding dry sweeping in areas with rodent activity. Surfaces should be disinfected with bleach before cleaning to prevent the inhalation of viral particles.
Protective Gear: Using high-filtration masks and gloves when handling storage units or farm buildings.
While the federal government has not yet announced a specific emergency fund for this detection, the NCDC has reaffirmed its commitment to the “One Health” approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental monitoring to prevent a secondary surge in cases.
