Two die in Benue as Lassa Fever cases rise to nine

Two people have d!ed from Lassa fever in Benue State, barely a week after seven cases of the viral disease were reported, as the total number of suspected infections in the state rose to nine.

The State Commissioner for Health, Paul Ogwuche, disclosed this on Thursday, January 22, in Makurdi, saying the state had recorded a steady increase in cases over the past two weeks.

“As we speak now, there are nine suspected cases of Lassa fever in our dashboard. About five are positive, and unfortunately, two of them have resulted in mortality,” Ogwuche said.

He explained that the cases were largely concentrated in Buruku and Makurdi Local Government Areas, noting that two health workers were among those infected. “The cases involved are in Buruku and Makurdi LGAs. Two cases came from Buruku but were diagnosed in Makurdi. There are also cases involving two health workers,” he added.

The commissioner said the state government had activated its emergency response mechanisms to contain the outbreak. “As a ministry, we have responded appropriately. We have our incident rapid response team, activated our Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, and put in place all necessary mechanisms,” he stated.

Ogwuche urged residents to prioritise hygiene and sanitation, warning against contact with rodents. “The people must pay attention to hygiene and sanitation. Avoid rodents, especially rats. During the dry season, when grasses are burnt, rodents seek shelter in homes. If food, especially raw food items, is left uncovered, it,” he cautioned.

He added that disease surveillance had been intensified across all local government areas to ensure early detection and treatment. “One of the best ways to manage Lassa fever is early diagnosis and treatment. We have disease surveillance officers in all LGAs, and we have heightened their level of suspicion,” he said.

On the newly diagnosed cases, Ogwuche noted that although they were not yet showing symptoms, they would be isolated as a precautionary measure. “The two cases are not symptomatic, but we want to take them into isolation so we can commence all management protocols,” he explained.

He also called on residents to promptly report symptoms such as prolonged fever, weakness, fatigue and bleeding from any part of the body, adding that the ministry would convene a stakeholders’ meeting involving key health institutions and partners to strengthen containment efforts.

“We are involving the Federal Medical Centre, which hosts the molecular laboratory, the Teaching Hospital where the state isolation centre is located, the World Health Organisation, state epidemiology teams, and donor partners to ensure this deadly disease is contained,” he said.