Oyo records five fresh cases of Lassa fever, confirms one death

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Oyo State Government has confirmed an outbreak of Lassa fever, with five cases and one death recorded across four local government areas in Ibadan.

The Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, disclosed this during a joint press briefing, stating that the outbreak began with a 44-year-old woman who died on April 11.

She explained that laboratory tests confirmed the infection on April 13, prompting an immediate public health response by the state government.

According to her, the index case had travelled to Edo State for a burial before falling ill, leading to cross-state surveillance and intensified contact tracing.

Ajetunmobi revealed that about 200 contacts have been identified and are currently under monitoring, while confirmed cases have been recorded in Ibadan South-West, Ibadan North, Ibadan North-West, and Ido local government areas.

She added that some healthcare workers were among those infected, raising concerns about possible hospital-based transmission of the disease.

The commissioner, however, assured residents that the situation is under control, urging them to maintain proper hygiene, avoid contact with rodents, and report symptoms early, while noting that the state has activated its Emergency Operations Centre and deployed response teams to facilities including the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, and the University College Hospital Ibadan.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Environment, Ademola Aderinto, warned against unsafe practices such as drying food by the roadside, while the Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital, Jesse Otegbayo, and the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, called for public cooperation and accurate dissemination of information to curb the outbreak.