Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025185 (Oral 100) | Published: 14 Aug 2025
Dupe Arinola Hambolu1,2,&, Olubunmi Omowumi Olopha3, Yandoma Rabilu Iliaysu1, Juliet Namugenyi4, Aishat Bukola Usman5, Okoro Aja Nwenyi6, Henry Abah Nweke3, Oladipo Olanrewaju Ogunbode1,3, Abdulkareem Iyanda Durosinlorun1,2,Chuka Nnanyelu Ikejiaku1,2, Olukemi Falade3, Adaramola Olajumoke3, Imolehin Bodunde Ayokunle7, Yushau Umar8, Sunday Emmanuel Hambolu8, Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi2, Stephen Oyegoke Fagbemi9, Gboyega Adekunle Famoku9, Muhammad Shakir Balogun10
1Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Abuja, Nigeria, 2Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Abuja, Nigeria, 3Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria (NCDC), 4Africa Epidemic Service, Africa CDC, Abuja, Nigeria, 5Ecowas Regional Center for Surveillance and Disease Control West African Health Organization, Abuja, Nigeria, 6Africa Center For Disease Control (Africa CDC), Abuja, Nigeria,7Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja, Nigeria, 8National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Jos, Nigeria, 9Ministry of Health, Akure, Ondo State, Abuja, Nigeria, 10African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Abuja, Nigeria
&Corresponding author: Dupe Arinola Hambolu, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Abuja, Nigeria, Email: modupehambolu@yahoo.com
Received: 31 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 14 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Lassa fever, Risk factors, Case-control study, Ondo State, Personal protective equipment (PPE), Food storage practices
©Dupe Arinola Hambolu et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Dupe Arinola Hambolu et al., Risk factors associated with Lassa fever infection during the 2025 outbreak in Ondo State, Nigeria. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(COnfProc5):00100. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00100
Lassa fever (LF) is a viral hemorrhagic illness predominantly found in West Africa. Nigeria particularly experiences a high incidence, especially during the first 12 weeks of the year. The 2025 outbreak reflects ongoing, sustained transmission observed in 2024, posing a significant public health threat in Ondo State and beyond. We investigated risk factors for LF during the 2025 outbreak in Ondo State, Nigeria.
We conducted a descriptive and case-control study using a semi-structured questionnaire and laboratory analysis to assess LF cases and identify infection risk factors from December 31, 2024, to April 16, 2025. Key variables included demographics, knowledge and behavior, exposure history, and environmental factors. We enrolled 74 confirmed LF cases from the line list along with 142 controls. Cases were individuals with RT-PCR-confirmed LF; controls had no LF symptoms in the past three weeks and lived near a confirmed case. We performed conditional multiple logistic regression analysis.
Of the 489 suspected LF cases reported across eight LGAs, 140 were laboratory-confirmed, with 19 deaths (case fatality rate: 13.6%). Mean ages of cases (37.9±14.5 years) and controls (35.2±12.3 years) were comparable. Females represented 48.6% of cases and 50.0% of controls. Participants who did not dry food materials in open spaces were less likely to contract LF than those who did (AOR= 0.02; 95% CI = 0.00-0.39). Participants who did not use face masks and hand gloves were more likely to contract LF than those who did (AOR= 3.86; 95% CI= 1.16-12.87) and individuals living in rural villages were less likely to contract LF compared to those in urban areas (AOR= 0.17; 95% CI = 0.07-0.41).
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