Lassa Fever: Plateau confirms 4 deaths as cases rise to 11

The Plateau State Government has confirmed an outbreak of Lassa fever in seven local government areas of the state, with four deaths recorded and the number of confirmed cases rising to 11.

The affected local government areas are Quanpan, Shendam, Wase, Langtang South, Jos North, Jos South and Mangu.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed this during a press briefing in Jos on Saturday, where he provided an update on the outbreak and the state’s response measures.

According to him, the state was first alerted to the outbreak on December 20, 2025, following a reported case from Quanpan Local Government Area.

“We were first alerted on the 20th of December 2025 following a case from Quanpan Local Government Area, and immediately we activated our Incident Management Team,” Baamlong said. He explained that two cases were initially confirmed, prompting extensive contact tracing.

“At that time, we traced about 69 contacts, from which we recorded 16 suspected cases and five were confirmed positive,” he stated.

Providing an update on cases recorded in 2026, the commissioner said the state has so far documented 28 suspected cases, with six confirmed.

“This means that from December till now, we have confirmed 11 positive cases in Plateau State,” he added.

Baamlong said the outbreak has resulted in four deaths across major health facilities in the state.

“Sadly, we have recorded four deaths — two at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, one at the Plateau Specialist Hospital and one at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital,” he said.

He further disclosed that one of the fatalities was a medical practitioner who attended to an infected patient.

“As of today, another medical doctor is also on admission and receiving treatment,” Baamlong added. The commissioner noted that 109 contacts are currently under follow-up as health authorities intensify surveillance and response efforts across affected communities.

“What we are doing now is to continue active case search through surveillance and to deploy our rapid response teams to affected communities. We are also commencing active public health enlightenment, which is very key to suppressing transmission of the disease,” he said.

Baamlong assured residents of the availability of treatment and protective materials, stressing that necessary drugs and equipment have been distributed to health facilities.

“The drugs required for treatment, including personal protective equipment, have been distributed to health facilities and are currently available at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau Specialist Hospital,” he said.

He urged residents to strictly observe preventive measures and seek medical attention promptly if symptoms develop, noting that collective effort is critical to containing the outbreak.

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