Lassa fever: Lagos sounds alarm as deadly outbreak sweeps Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria — 13 April 2026 (NPA) — The Lagos State Government has issued a stark public health warning over Lassa fever, launching a statewide awareness and prevention campaign as Nigeria battles one of its most severe outbreaks in recent years.

With over 660 confirmed cases and 167 deaths between January and mid-March, the situation has escalated into a national emergency spanning 22 states and 93 local government areas.

Professor Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, described the outbreak as “a serious national health concern” requiring urgent, coordinated action. Particularly troubling is the infection of 38 healthcare workers, including three doctors who have died since January.

Lassa fever, a highly contagious zoonotic viral disease transmitted from rodents and bushmeat to humans, spreads person-to-person and often presents as a haemorrhagic illness with fever and internal bleeding. While Lagos is not traditionally endemic, its dense population and commercial activity heighten the risk of rapid transmission.

Evidence now suggests year-round transmission, driven by environmental changes and increased human interaction with rodent reservoirs. Abayomi warned that 70 per cent of infected individuals show mild or no symptoms yet remain infectious, fuelling silent spread in urban centres.

He stressed that one in five symptomatic patients faces life-threatening complications if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Lassa fever, he noted, belongs to the same high-risk category as Ebola and Marburg virus disease — pathogens capable of overwhelming health systems.

The Commissioner linked the rising incidence of such outbreaks to climate change, deforestation and ecological disruption, which are pushing rodents closer to human settlements.

To counter the threat, Lagos has activated a 24-hour Emergency Operations Centre, strengthened surveillance, deployed digital health tools, and intensified biosecurity training for healthcare workers.

Abayomi urged residents to remain calm but vigilant, assuring that Lagos is working closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the Federal Ministry of Health, and partners such as Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital to bolster response systems and public awareness.