LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Plateau State health officials have sounded a critical alarm following a confirmed Lassa fever outbreak across seven local government areas, resulting in 11 positive cases and four fatalities since December 2025.
During a high-stakes press briefing in Jos on Saturday, February 7, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Baamlong, revealed that the virus has claimed the life of a senior resident doctor, sparking fears of increased hospital-based transmission. The state first identified the threat on December 20, 2025, in Quanpan, immediately triggering a massive incident management response to contain the spread.
The frontline of the medical community has been particularly hard-hit, with the death of Dr. Salome Oboyi, a dedicated physician at Bingham University Teaching Hospital who contracted the haemorrhagic fever while treating a patient.
“Sadly, we have recorded four deaths… One of the deaths is a medical practitioner who attended to an infected patient. As of today, another medical doctor is also on admission and receiving treatment,” Baamlong disclosed.
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Fatalities have also been recorded at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau Specialist Hospital, highlighting the geographic reach of the infection. Surveillance teams are currently tracking 109 high-risk contacts across the affected regions, which include Quanpan, Shendam, Wase, Langtang South, Jos North, Jos South, and Mangu.
To mitigate further casualties, the Plateau State Ministry of Health has deployed rapid response units to conduct active case searches in these communities. Dr. Baamlong emphasized that the state has already distributed essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and antiviral drugs to key facilities to ensure that healthcare workers are shielded during treatment.
Public enlightenment remains the primary weapon in suppressing the current transmission chain, as officials urge residents to maintain strict hygiene and report symptoms immediately.
“The drugs required for treatment, including personal protective equipment, have been distributed… This [education] is key so that we can address and suppress the transmission of this disease,” the commissioner stated.
With over 100 people still under observation, the state remains on high alert to prevent a wider epidemic. Effective containment of this viral surge depends on the cooperation of residents in following NCDC preventive protocols and ensuring grain storage is protected from rodent contamination.
