PLATEAU CONFIRMS LASSA FEVER OUTBREAK IN SEVEN LGAS, FOUR DEATHS RECORDED
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Plateau State Government has confirmed an outbreak of Lassa fever affecting seven local government areas of the state, with 11 positive cases and four deaths recorded since December 2025.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed this on Saturday during a press briefing at the Ministry of Health in Jos, where he gave an update on the outbreak and measures being taken to contain it.
Baamlong said the state was first alerted to the outbreak on December 20, 2025, following a reported case from Quanpan Local Government Area, prompting the immediate activation of the Incident Management Team.
“We were first alerted on December 20, 2025, following a case from the Quanpan Local Government Area, and immediately, we activated our incident management team,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the state has recorded 28 suspected cases so far, out of which 11 have been confirmed positive after extensive contact tracing.
“At that time, we traced about 69 contacts, from which we recorded 16 suspected cases, and five were confirmed positive. This means that from December till now, we have confirmed eleven positive cases in Plateau State,” he explained.
He disclosed that the outbreak has claimed four lives across major health facilities in the state, including one health worker.
“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. One of the deaths is a medical practitioner who attended to an infected patient,” Baamlong said, adding that another medical doctor is currently receiving treatment.
The commissioner noted that 109 contacts are presently under follow-up as surveillance and response activities are intensified.
Affected local government areas include Quanpan, Shendam, Wase, Langtang South, Jos North, Jos South and Mangu.
Baamlong stressed the importance of public enlightenment in curbing the spread of the disease, saying the state has commenced active sensitisation campaigns across affected communities.
“We are commencing active public health enlightenment. This is very key so that we can address and suppress the transmission of this disease,” he said.
He assured residents that treatment drugs and personal protective equipment had been distributed to health facilities, with supplies available at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau Specialist Hospital.
The commissioner urged residents to strictly adhere to preventive measures and seek prompt medical attention when symptoms occur, stressing that collective responsibility is critical to containing the outbreak.
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