The Ogun State Health Commissioner, Dr. Tomi Coker, announced on Tuesday that there is an outbreak of Lassa fever in the state.
Dr. Coker reported that this serious viral illness recently resulted in the death of a 25-year-old female member of the National Youth Service Corps. She became ill in Ondo and was taken to a secondary health facility in Ijebu North Local Government, where she unfortunately passed away. The Commissioner shared this information in a statement to the press on Wednesday.
She also outlined the symptoms associated with this viral fever, which include a high fever, headaches, overall body weakness, sore throat, muscle aches, coughing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest pain, and unexplained bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings.
Coker urged the people in the state to quickly inform the nearest government health center if they see anyone showing these symptoms so they can get medical help right away. She stated, “Ogun State has confirmed a case of Lassa Fever and has declared an outbreak. The first case is a 25-year-old female National Youth Corps member who became ill while in Ondo state and was taken to one of our secondary health facilities in Ijebu North LGA on March 18, 2025, where she sadly passed away the same day.
“Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease that causes high fever, headaches, overall weakness, sore throat, muscle aches, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest pain, and unexplained bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings. We urge community members to report to the hospital immediately if they notice any of these symptoms. If someone has a fever that doesn’t improve after 48 hours of taking anti-malaria medication or antibiotics, it should raise concerns about Lassa fever!
We encourage all healthcare facilities in Ogun State, whether public or private, to improve their Infection Prevention and Control measures and ensure that all staff follow these protocols. Healthcare workers who suspect a patient may have Lassa fever should contact their local government disease surveillance and notification officer (LGA DSNO), whose details can be found at our health facilities. They can also reach the State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer at 0703-421-4893 or the State Epidemiologist at 0808-425-0881.
The Ogun State Government is committed to safeguarding the health of its residents by consistently monitoring and swiftly responding to infectious diseases. The Ministry of Health, working alongside the Rapid Response Team in Ijebu North East, is proactively tackling the issue by improving surveillance and engaging with the community to ensure an effective response.
