Benue State has confirmed 15 Lassa fever cases this year, with six deaths directly linked to the virus and nine others suspected to be related, according to state health authorities.
Dr. Msuega Asema, who serves as the State Epidemiologist and heads the Benue State Public Health and Emergency Operation Centre (PHEOC), shared the figures during a World Health Organisation (WHO) training held in Makurdi. The session targeted Community Health Workers and media professionals.
He revealed that “since February, the state has documented 156 suspected cases,” noting that the outbreak has continued into the rainy season, which is not typical for the virus.
Asema said the state’s emergency response system remains active because “they are still seeing cases, even during the rainy season, which is unusual,” adding that “Lassa fever is typically more common in the dry season.”
He further disclosed that although 15 cases have been verified through lab tests, “nine additional deaths are considered probable Lassa fever cases based on clinical symptoms and exposure history, despite lacking laboratory confirmation.”
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On the causes, Asema pointed to food contamination, stating that people often contract the virus by eating “contaminated food that is left uncovered or improperly stored,” explaining that infection spreads through “contact with the urine and faeces of infected multimammate rats (Mastomys natalensis).”
Dr. Mohammed Abdulkarim, the WHO coordinator in Benue, stressed the impact of poor funding on disease control.
According to him, “lack of adequate funding to combat it leads to the persistence of the disease,” highlighting that Lassa fever has plagued the state for more than six years.
He warned that the virus is “spreading fast and needed a shift from reactive to preventive health approaches,” stressing that “prevention through improved health and nutrition practices is key as an alternative to curb its spread.”