Lassa fever: Oyo confirms five cases, records one death

The Oyo State Government on Friday confirmed five cases of Lassa fever, with one death recorded in the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, disclosed this during a press conference in Ibadan, the state capital, stressing that the affected patients are currently receiving treatment.

He said the infected people were admitted to the Olodo State Center for Infectious Diseases and the isolation unit of University College Hospital.

Ajetunmobi added that the government has activated its emergency response mechanisms and adopted a multi-sectoral approach in line with guidelines issued by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The state government has started active case tracing and is currently tracking over 200 identified contacts,” he said.

He noted that essential medicines, including ribavirin, have been made available, while isolation centers have been fully operational to contain the spread of the disease.

According to her, preventive and control measures such as the provision of personal protective equipment and the application of safe burial protocols have also been put in place.

The commissioner, however, urged residents to take precautionary measures, including proper food storage, maintaining good hygiene, avoiding contact with rodents and seeking immediate medical attention when symptoms such as fever, vomiting and bleeding are noticed.

The development comes amid growing concern over the rise in Lassa fever cases nationwide.

The Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier warned of an increase in deaths linked to the disease, revealing that 167 deaths had been recorded so far in 2026, with a mortality rate of 25.2%, higher than the 18.5% reported for the same period in 2025.

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