The Lagos State Government has issued a public health alert on Lassa fever, announcing the commencement of a statewide awareness and prevention campaign.
The move follows rising cases across the country and growing concerns over infections among healthcare workers.
The Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, disclosed this in a message to mark the campaign’s rollout, warning that “Nigeria is witnessing one of its most severe outbreaks in recent years.’
He said that “over 660 confirmed cases and 167 deaths were recorded nationwide between January and mid-March 2026, underscoring the urgent need for heightened public awareness and strict adherence to preventive measures.’
He disclosed that the outbreak has spread across 22 states and 93 local government areas, describing the trend as “a serious national health concern” that demands urgent, coordinated and proactive measures at both federal and state levels.
According to him, an especially troubling dimension of the outbreak is the infection of frontline health workers, revealing that at least 38 healthcare personnel have contracted the disease, with three doctors losing their lives since the start of the year.
“When a disease begins to kill frontline workers, that is a serious warning sign,” Abayomi stated.
Although Lagos is not classified as an endemic state and typically records only a few imported cases annually, the Commissioner warned that its status as a densely populated commercial hub significantly increases the risk of rapid transmission.
“Every day, thousands of people move in and out of Lagos by road and air. In a megacity like ours, infectious diseases can spread very quickly if not contained early, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
Abayomi noted that unlike in the past when Lassa fever occurred in seasonal peaks, emerging evidence now suggests year-round transmission, partly driven by increased human interaction with rodent reservoirs and environmental changes.
He said that about 70 per cent of infected individuals exhibit mild or no symptoms but remain infectious, thereby posing a silent transmission risk, particularly in densely populated urban centres like Lagos.
The Commissioner further classified Lassa fever alongside other high-risk viral diseases such as Ebola and Marburg virus disease, noting that they belong to a category of “pathogens of high consequence” capable of overwhelming health systems if not properly managed.
He attributed the increasing incidence of such diseases to factors including climate change, deforestation and ecological disruption, which are driving rodents and other wildlife closer to human settlements while also pushing humans deeper into natural habitats.
To mitigate these risks, Prof. Abayomi revealed that Lagos State has strengthened its preparedness architecture through a 24-hour Emergency Operations Centre, enhanced surveillance systems, digital health tools and continuous training of healthcare workers in biosecurity and infection prevention.
He said; “Preparedness is not a panic response. It is leadership,” he emphasised, adding that the state’s strategy is focused on early detection, rapid isolation and effective case management to prevent outbreaks before they escalate.”