PLATEAU CONFIRMS 11 LASSA FEVER CASES, FOUR DEATHS ACROSS SEVEN LGAS

 PLATEAU CONFIRMS 11 LASSA FEVER CASES, FOUR DEATHS ACROSS SEVEN LGAS


Plateau State authorities have confirmed an outbreak of Lassa fever in seven local government areas, with 11 confirmed cases and four recorded deaths since December 2025.

The confirmation was made by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, during a press briefing at the Ministry of Health in Jos on Saturday.

According to the commissioner, the state was first alerted to the outbreak on December 20, 2025, following a reported case from Quanpan Local Government Area, which prompted the immediate activation of the state’s incident management and response system.

“We were alerted following a confirmed case from Quanpan Local Government Area, and we immediately activated our incident management team,” Baamlong said.

He explained that initial investigations identified two confirmed cases, leading to extensive contact tracing.

“At that time, we traced about 69 contacts. From these, we recorded 16 suspected cases, out of which five were confirmed positive. From December till date, we have now confirmed a total of 11 positive cases in Plateau State,” he added.

The outbreak has resulted in four fatalities recorded across major health facilities in the state, including the death of a medical practitioner.

“We have sadly recorded four deaths — two at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, one at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, and one at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital. One of the fatalities was a medical practitioner who attended to an infected patient. Another medical doctor is currently on admission and receiving treatment,” the commissioner disclosed.

Among those who died was Dr Salome Oboyi, a senior resident doctor at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, who reportedly contracted the virus while treating an infected patient and died within two weeks of developing symptoms.

Dr Baamlong said 109 contacts are currently under close surveillance, as the state intensifies active case searches and deploys rapid response teams to affected communities.

The local government areas affected by the outbreak include Quanpan, Shendam, Wase, Langtang South, Jos North, Jos South, and Mangu.

The commissioner emphasised that public awareness and early reporting remain critical to containing the disease.

“We are intensifying public health enlightenment to ensure early detection, prompt reporting, and prevention of further transmission,” he said.

He further assured residents that treatment drugs and protective equipment are available.

“The required medications and personal protective equipment have been distributed to health facilities and are currently available at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau Specialist Hospital,” Baamlong stated.

Residents were urged to observe preventive measures, maintain proper hygiene, and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as fever, weakness, or bleeding occur, as authorities stressed that controlling the outbreak requires collective responsibility.

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