…Epidemiologist says the Lassa fever death toll in Benue includes a significant number of health workers.
Makurdi, Nigeria — The iNews Times reports that the Lassa fever death toll in Benue has risen to 10, as health authorities confirmed 45 positive cases out of 250 suspected infections in what officials described as a devastating outbreak.
The State Epidemiologist, Dr. Msuega Asema, disclosed the figures on Friday when the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ejeh-Ogwuche, visited isolation centres at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Apir, where affected patients are receiving treatment.
According to Asema, the Lassa fever death toll in Benue includes a significant number of health workers, five medical doctors, four nurses, two community health extension workers and one hospital porter raising fresh concerns about infection prevention lapses and human-to-human transmission.
“The state is currently facing a devastating outbreak of Lassa fever, with 45 cases confirmed positive and 10 cumulative mortality out of 250 suspected cases reported,” Asema stated.
Earlier in the month, the health commissioner formally declared the outbreak following a rise in suspected cases. On February 16, he disclosed that four health workers had already died, with over 60 cases suspected at the time.
During the assessment visit, Ogwuche urged residents not to panic despite the rising figures, assuring that the state government had intensified efforts to contain the outbreak since it was officially declared on February 3.
He explained that surveillance officers have been deployed across the 23 local government areas to strengthen monitoring, contact tracing and community engagement aimed at curbing further spread of the virus.
“Yes, the data has come up and it looks threatening, but the Benue State Government under Governor Hyacinth Alia is fully committed to ensuring that this condition is contained as soon as possible,” he said.
The commissioner appealed to residents to promptly report symptoms at designated health facilities, stressing that early diagnosis and treatment remain critical in reducing fatalities associated with Lassa fever.
At BSUTH, the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Stephen Hwande, said the hospital had put measures in place to contain the outbreak and urged residents to adhere strictly to infection prevention protocols.
The Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of BSUTH, Prof. Michael Agbir, described the situation as unusual compared to previous years, revealing that between January and February 2026, the hospital recorded 28 admissions, with 17 confirmed cases on admission and three deaths.
At FMC Apir, the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Joseph Kontor, represented by Dr. Uche Augustine Azuka, said the laboratory has been handling diagnostic tests for COVID-19, Lassa fever, chickenpox, cholera, hepatitis B and C, among others.
However, he lamented that inadequate power supply has hampered effective service delivery at the isolation centre, noting that reliance on public electricity makes it difficult to conduct timely tests and release results. He appealed to the state government for intervention, including provision of consumables and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), especially as patients are being treated and discharged free of charge.
