In several Nigerian communities, fever is often immediately linked to malaria, a tendency health experts say is contributing to delayed detection and treatment of Lassa fever.
According to public health specialists, this widespread assumption has continued to hinder early diagnosis, allowing Lassa fever cases to progress to severe stages before proper medical attention is sought.
For many households facing economic hardship, daily survival often overshadows concerns about diseases perceived as less familiar or less immediate.
This reality is reflected in the experience of a pregnant mother of six in Benin City, who described the difficult choices common in low-income homes.
While preparing a meal, a rat reportedly fell into her cooking pot. She said she removed it and continued cooking, explaining that discarding food was not an option due to financial constraints.
“I cannot afford to throw the food away; my children have to eat,” she said.
She also noted that rodents are a frequent presence in her environment, adding that constant food wastage due to contamination would make survival difficult.
Like many others, she associates fever mainly with malaria and often resorts to over-the-counter medication without laboratory confirmation.
“When my children have fever, I just go to the pharmacy and buy malaria drugs. Lassa fever has never crossed my mind,” she said.
When asked about concerns regarding Lassa fever, she dismissed the likelihood of infection, saying rodents are common in her area and that avoiding contaminated food entirely would be unrealistic.
Health experts, however, warn that such perceptions contribute to the silent spread of the disease, as symptoms are frequently mistaken for malaria or typhoid in the early stages.
Medical professionals explain that Lassa fever typically begins with symptoms such as fever, headache, weakness and general body pain, making it difficult to distinguish from malaria without proper testing.
A medical director in Benin City, Dr Nosa Ehigie, described Lassa fever as a viral haemorrhagic illness that can become severe if not detected early.
He explained that while many infections are mild or show no symptoms, severe cases can lead to organ failure, internal bleeding and other life-threatening complications.
According to him, patients often begin treatment for malaria or typhoid due to symptom similarity, delaying accurate diagnosis.
He noted that persistent fever that does not respond to treatment should raise suspicion, especially if bleeding signs such as vomiting or coughing blood begin to appear.
Dr Ehigie also warned that the virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and contaminated surfaces, with rodents playing a key role in transmission.
He advised residents to maintain proper hygiene, improve sanitation and avoid direct contact with rodents or their droppings.
Suspected cases, he added, should be promptly isolated and referred to designated treatment centres, including specialist facilities equipped to handle Lassa fever cases.
Public health experts say poor awareness remains a major challenge in controlling the disease, as many people still rely on self-medication for fever without seeking laboratory diagnosis.
They also point to environmental conditions such as poor waste disposal, overcrowded housing and rodent infestation as key drivers of transmission in many communities.
In response, health authorities have intensified surveillance, training and community awareness campaigns across affected states.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has also strengthened infection prevention efforts, trained health workers in high-risk areas and activated emergency response systems in several states.
Additional measures include contact tracing, laboratory support, rapid response deployment and distribution of protective equipment to frontline health workers.
Experts stress that sustained public education, improved sanitation and early medical consultation are critical to reducing misdiagnosis and limiting the spread of Lassa fever across the country.
Health authorities continue to emphasize that persistent fever should never be assumed to be malaria without proper medical evaluation, as early detection remains key to saving lives.