….as Ondo is set to inaugurate C’mmittee on disease eradication

By Kemi Olatunde

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As Ondo State takes the lead in Nigeria with the highest number of confirmed cases of Lassa fever, the state government has put efforts in place to ensure its prevention. This can be attested to with the recent effort of the government to ensure appropriate contact tracing of the recent death of a medical doctor in the state.

The latest situation report published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) between February 24 and March 2 revealed that Nigeria has recorded 29 new Lassa fever infections and five deaths in one week, bringing the total fatalities recorded in 2025 to 100.

The report highlighted that the country has confirmed 535 cases of Lassa fever across 13 states and 75 local government areas (LGAs) this year.

According to the NCDC, the states with confirmed cases are Ondo (168), Bauchi (128), Edo (93), Taraba (83), Ebonyi (17), Kogi (14), Gombe (11), Plateau (Nine), Benue (Five), Nasarawa (Three), Cross River (Two), Delta (One), and Enugu (One).

Last month, the 29 new cases and five fatalities were reported across nine states: Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Plateau, Cross River, Nasarawa, and Enugu.

The NCDC noted that the number of new infections decreased from the 54 cases recorded in the previous week.

Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi States account for the majority (72 percent) of all confirmed cases. Of all the confirmed cases, Ondo recorded 31 percent, while Edo and Bauchi reported 24 percent and 17 per cent, respectively.

The centre also stated that the overall case fatality rate (CFR) is 18.7 percent, slightly lower than the 18.8 percent recorded during the same period in 2024. Most affected individuals fall within the age group of 21 to 30 years, with the median age being 30. The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is 1:0.8.

The NCDC reported that it has activated the National Lassa Fever Incident Management System to coordinate the country’s response to the outbreak. National Rapid Response Teams have also been deployed to affected states to support control and management efforts using a “One Health” approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health interventions.

Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents. It can also spread through direct contact with infected individuals.

Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and muscle pains. Severe cases may involve unexplained bleeding from body openings such as the nose, mouth, and ears.

Speaking with The Hope, Special Adviser to Governor Luck Aiyedatiwa, on Health  Prof. Simidele Odimayo stated that government is giving priority to the eradication of Lassa fever and other communicable diseases in the state, adding that it is also working on the improvement of the environment to reduce contact, of people with rat and rat population.

According to him, the structure has been set up across the 18 Local Government areas for case identification.

He described active surveillance as a major factor responsible for the current increase of cases in the state saying “Ondo State has stepped up surveillance hence, the current increase in cases. The surveillance is aimed at effective contact tracing to know those who have contacted it.”

He stated that health workers have undergone a series of trainings on raising the index of suspicion of the fever across the state.

“There was a review a few weeks ago on raising the suspicion index on Lassa. Health workers have been mandated that once there is a suspected case, they must refer if need be and a sample must be taken for confirmation of cases to do the needful in caring and nipping those cases in the bud.

“Currently, the state government is trying to advance the molecular laboratory to be able to run Lassa fever screening. We are collaborating with the Federal Medical Center, Owo, where the reference laboratory for the confirmation of cases is.

“The Ambulance drivers, doctors, and surveillance officers are in the field doing the needful to stem the tide of the disease.

“At the scientific level, there is a state committee comprising professionals and experts that is researching Lassa in the state. The team is to identify what can be done to curtail it in the next six months and also eradicate it. The team will soon be inaugurated as Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has mandated that a research document be developed on the control and eradication of the disease.

“Part of the plan of the research team is to identify effectively cases of Lassa both those that are within humans and rats, identify the population and the cluster of the disease with the intention of eradicating it within rats and possibly develop kits that can do rapid testing for Lassa so that at the earliest stage, we can be able to identify them and work at it. We are happy that it can advance to the level of giving us a candidate vaccine that can reverse those at risk.

“We also want to look at the peculiarity of transmission among household contact and the transmission in the community to intersect the disease transmission.

“With the advancement of our Primary Health Care (PHC) centres, there will be effective surveillance and referral if need be. We have our infectious disease hospital where cases are managed free of charge, hence people need not abscond after diagnosis,” he explained.

He called for proper food storage and proper waste disposal among residents, adding that they avoid bush burning to prevent rat invasion in their homes.

“All should embrace personal and food hygiene. Leftover food should be properly stored or discarded. People should cooperate with health workers and when they feel sick, they should visit a proper health facility for treatment to encourage early diagnosis of Lassa fever,” he added.

State Epidemiologist, Ayokunle Orimolade at a recent event stressed the need for strict adherence to basic hygiene practices to prevent infectious diseases in the state.

He stressed the importance of early report of noticeable symptoms of high fever to the nearest government hospital, noting that diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, especially Lassa fever cases is free in government hospitals in the State.

Orimolade also called on the people to keep away food items from rodents, multi-breasted rats, and cockroaches, which he identified as carriers of infectious diseases among which is Lassa Fever.

While giving insight into how Lassa Fever crept into Ondo State through the neighbouring Edo State, Dr. Orimolade however commended the quick intervention and proactiveness of the State Stakeholders which curtailed its spread, saying line-tracing and unrelenting medical attention had been very helpful for the curtailment of the disease.