By Rick Egebo

During the recent 2020–2021 Lassa fever outbreak, attention turned not only to hospitals but also to the behind-the-scenes efforts to protect food safety. Mary Tomi Olorunkosebi, a Food Safety Expert, Health Educator, and Emergency Medical Responder, played a pivotal role in risk communication, community sensitization, and coordinated response efforts. In this exclusive interview, she discusses how unsafe food handling fueled the outbreak, lessons learned, and steps Nigeria must take to prevent future foodborne epidemics.

Your work during the Lassa fever outbreak was commendable. What motivated your involvement in food safety during such a critical period?

My background in food safety made it immediately clear to me that Lassa fever could not be contained through clinical treatment alone. While rodents are the primary carriers, contaminated food often becomes the indirect route of transmission. I have always believed that public health is proactive, not reactive. So, when the outbreak escalated, I saw it as a responsibility, to use my expertise to protect communities through safer food systems, better hygiene education, and coordinated surveillance.

You are Quality Assurance Manager at KCH Consumer Ltd. What were some of the key lessons from that role and how has it helped your approach in combating this Lassa fever outbreak?

As Quality Assurance Manager at KCH Consumer Healthcare Ltd., I learned that maintaining strict hygiene standards, robust monitoring systems, and consistent training for staff are non-negotiable for preventing contamination and ensuring product safety. One key lesson was that even small lapses in protocols, whether in storage, handling, or sanitation can have ripple effects that compromise the entire supply chain. I also realized the importance of proactive risk assessments and rapid corrective actions rather than waiting for problems to escalate.

These experiences directly shaped my approach during the Lassa fever outbreak. I applied the same principles of strict monitoring, education, and proactive risk management to community food handling and market surveillance. Understanding how contamination spreads in a production environment helped me identify critical control points in households, markets, and food storage facilities. It reinforced the value of systematic inspections, rapid interventions, and continuous education, which were crucial in reducing the risk of foodborne transmission during the outbreak.

You emphasize that the outbreak revealed food as a major transmission pathway. Can you explain this further?

Absolutely. One of the earliest shockers was that many households and markets had poor storage and handling systems that made contamination almost inevitable. Open grain storage, rodent access to food items, improper waste disposal, and weak market sanitation created perfect conditions for Lassa fever to spread silently.

People often think infection only comes from direct rodent contact, but contaminated food can expose an entire family, even an entire community. This hidden pathway is what prolonged the outbreak in many areas.

How did you translate your knowledge into action during the outbreak?

Knowledge must become action, especially during a health crisis. I worked directly with local health authorities, community leaders, and food vendors to introduce practical hygiene practices. We conducted rapid assessments of grain stores, milling points, and household kitchens to identify rodent activity and contamination points.

We also organized large-scale sensitization campaigns, training food handlers on safe preparation, proper storage, and sanitation. Many people had simply never been taught how easily food could become a transmission vehicle. Once they understood the risks, behavior began to change.

What were some of the major challenges you faced?

Misinformation was the biggest barrier. Many communities believed Lassa fever only came from hospitals or spiritual causes, so explaining indirect contamination required patience and culturally sensitive communication.

Infrastructure was another challenge. Some areas lacked refrigeration, clean water, or rodent-proof storage. You cannot enforce food safety where basic resources are missing. That meant we had to create context-specific solutions, sometimes improvising with low-cost local materials.

Coordination was also intense. Outbreak response involves multiple agencies, and aligning emergency action with community education requires strong teamwork.

What impact did your interventions have?

The outcomes were significant. Through targeted hygiene training, improved storage practices, and microbial monitoring in markets, we saw a notable reduction in foodborne transmission. Vendors adopted safer handling, mothers became more vigilant about home storage, and communities were better informed.

It was rewarding to watch scientific principles save lives in real time. In several affected areas, outbreak spread slowed visibly once food safety practices improved.

Based on your experience, what weaknesses exist in Nigeria’s food safety system?

Nigeria’s food safety system is still fragmented. We lack unified surveillance, consistent inspections, and strong enforcement. If these structures had been in place before the outbreak, the spread would have been far less severe. Limited access to sophisticated technology in this part of the world also plays a crucial role in the weakness of our food safety system surveillance.

We need coordinated regulation across the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Environment; standardized sanitation policies for markets; national rodent control programs; and regular monitoring of food facilities at all levels. Our food systems must be strengthened if we expect to prevent future epidemics.

You have highlighted technology as a major tool for improving food surveillance. What role did it play, and what more can be done?

Technology played a crucial role in mapping contamination patterns and guiding response strategies during the outbreak, and to strengthen future surveillance, Nigeria must integrate several innovations, including mobile-based food safety reporting tools, GIS mapping to identify rodent hotspots, low-cost sensors for monitoring grain storage, digital platforms for real-time outbreak updates, and SMS alert systems for rural communities. By embedding these technological solutions into routine food safety surveillance, emergency response times can be significantly reduced, allowing authorities to act faster and more effectively to prevent the spread of disease.

What lessons did the outbreak teach about the connection between food and public health?

The outbreak reinforced one truth: food safety is public health, and public health is disease prevention. Research provides science, but communities need practical education. Outbreaks do not start in hospitals, they start in homes, markets, and food systems. Preparedness and consistent hygiene remain the most powerful tools.

What steps must Nigeria take moving forward?

Nigeria needs long-term investment in food infrastructure, cold storage, clean markets, waste management, and community hygiene programs. Stronger regulatory oversight, better surveillance, and continuous public education must become national priorities.

I also advocate for integrating probiotics, natural antimicrobials, and safer processing methods into food production. These approaches can reduce microbial risks without overreliance on chemicals.

Ultimately, collaboration is the key. Government agencies, scientists, food handlers, and the public must work together. When food systems are strong, disease outbreaks lose their power.

What are your final thoughts on Lassa Fever and Food Systems?

Lassa fever is not just a medical problem; it is a food safety problem. Strengthening food systems is one of the most effective ways to prevent future outbreaks. If Nigeria invests in surveillance, community education, and strong food safety systems, we can protect millions of lives. Food safety is not optional; it is lifesaving.