By Sarah Sam Adda
The Executive Director of the International Research Centre of Excellence (IRCE), Prof. Alash’le Abimiku, says similarities among Lassa virus strains across Nigeria and West Africa offer strong prospects for developing a single vaccine.
Speaking in Abuja ahead of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria’s (IHVN), 3rd Annual Scientific Symposium, Abimiku said studies revealed minimal variation in strains and their rodent hosts across states like Bauchi and Edo.
“That is good for vaccine development because if you make one vaccine, it can cut across,” she noted.
She stressed that Lassa fever remains a major health concern in Nigeria and West Africa, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), reporting 857 cases and 160 deaths so far in 2025. Most cases were recorded in Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, and Ebonyi states.
Abimiku disclosed that vaccine trials are underway in Nigeria, Liberia, and Senegal, adding that a safe and effective vaccine would be a “game-changer” in reducing the disease’s toll across the sub-region.
