Lassa fever in focus: experts from Nigeria and Germany meet!

Lassa fever in focus: experts from Nigeria and Germany meet!

at a time when health is at the forefront, a workshop for the prevention of zoonoses at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (Fli) on the island of Riems, district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, has attracted the attention of the health and science community. On July 9, 2025, 24 experts from Nigeria and Germany gathered to discuss Lassa fever, an illness that is widespread in Nigeria. The aim of the meeting was to develop measures to combat the Lassa fever at the interface of animal, humans and the environment. This collaboration brought together various institutions, including the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), the University of Ibadan (UI) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). [NDR] (https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/lassa-fießer-im-fokus-auf-dems ,Mvregiogiogswald-294.html) reports that the participants evaluate data from the Nigerian state of Ebonyi in order to gain scientific knowledge and to use practical measures for the affected communities in Nigeria develop.

But what exactly makes this disease so worrying? Lassa fever is zoonose, i.e. an illness that can be transferred to humans by animals. According to a comprehensive report on the outbreak in Nigeria 2019, the emergency reaction is often affected by weak coordination. An Incident Management System (IMS) that acts in the context of one Health approach could significantly improve the reaction to such outbursts. In fact, 5,057 people were tested for Lassa fever in Nigeria in 2019, with 833 of which were confirmed as positive cases. This underlines the need for targeted and structured coordination in the event of outbreaks of illness pmc.

One Health: A holistic approach

But what is the one health approach? This strategy regards the health of people, animals and the environment as an interdependent system. The approach has become increasingly important since the 2000s because it was realized that zoonotic diseases are a serious risk of health. The One Health approach promotes cooperation across various disciplines and integrated important areas such as food safety and control of zoonoses. Historically speaking, Hippocrates has already recognized the relationship between the environment and health, while the term zoonose by Rudolf Virchow was shaped in the 19th century. Today, this approach is viewed internationally as the key to improving public health and is increasingly being used in practice, for example in agriculture. Many organizations, including the WHO, support the implementation of this strategy in order to minimize health risks [ceva] (https://schwein.m.ceva.de/der-one-health- approach-getheit-mensch-and-environment-ganzitlich-looking).

The results of the workshop on the island of Riems illustrate the importance of intensifying the measures listed and promoting cooperation. The experts agree that only a coordinated approach across all sectors can effectively act against zoonoses such as Lassa fever. With a good hand and a clear focus on the transmission chains between humans, animals and the environment, it could be possible to successfully curb the spread of such diseases in the future and to raise awareness of this topic.