The Plateau State Government has confirmed an outbreak of Lassa fever across seven local government areas, with 11 confirmed cases and four fatalities recorded so far, raising public health concerns in the state.
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 on Saturday during a press briefing in Jos, where he outlined the scope of the outbreak and ongoing response efforts.
According to Baamlong, the state was first alerted to the outbreak on December 20, 2025, following a reported case in Quanpan Local Government Area.
He said the government immediately activated its Incident Management Team to contain the situation.
“Two cases were initially confirmed, and we carried out extensive contact tracing involving about 69 people. From these, we recorded 16 suspected cases, five of which were confirmed positive,” he explained.
Providing an update for 2026, the commissioner said 28 suspected cases have been recorded this year alone, with six confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since December to 11.
Baamlong said the outbreak has claimed four lives across major health facilities in the state, including two deaths at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, one at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, and one at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital.
In a sobering revelation, the commissioner disclosed that one of the deceased was a medical doctor who treated an infected patient. He added that another doctor is currently on admission and receiving treatment.
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As part of containment efforts, Baamlong said 109 contacts are presently under follow-up, while rapid response teams have been deployed to affected communities to intensify surveillance and active case searches.
He noted that public health enlightenment campaigns have commenced, describing community awareness as critical to halting further transmission of the disease.
The commissioner assured residents that treatment centres are well-equipped, stating that essential drugs and personal protective equipment have been distributed and are available at designated health facilities.
He urged residents to observe preventive measures and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as fever, weakness or bleeding occur, stressing that collective vigilance is key to containing the outbreak.