Plateau records 11 Lassa fever cases, four deaths

The Plateau State Government has confirmed an outbreak of Lassa fever in seven local government areas, with 11 positive cases and four deaths recorded since December 2025.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed this on Saturday during a press briefing at the Ministry of Health in Jos, where he gave an update on the situation and the state’s response.
Baamlong said the outbreak was first reported on December 20, 2025, after a case was detected in Quanpan Local Government Area, prompting the activation of the state’s incident management team. He noted that two initial cases led to extensive contact tracing.
According to him, the state recorded 28 suspected cases, with six initially confirmed. He explained that from 69 traced contacts, 16 became suspected cases and five tested positive, bringing the total confirmed cases to 11 since December.
The commissioner said four deaths had been recorded across major health facilities in the state, including one health worker. He listed the fatalities as two at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, one at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, and one at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital. He added that another medical doctor was currently on admission and receiving treatment.
Baamlong said 109 contacts were under follow-up as authorities intensified surveillance and response efforts. He noted that rapid response teams had been deployed to affected communities for active case search.
The affected local government areas include Quanpan, Shendam, Wase, Langtang South, Jos North, Jos South, and Mangu.
He stressed the importance of public awareness in controlling the outbreak, adding that enlightenment campaigns had begun. He also assured residents that treatment drugs and personal protective equipment had been distributed to health facilities, particularly at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau Specialist Hospital.
The commissioner urged residents to follow preventive measures and seek early medical care when symptoms appear, saying collective action was needed to contain the disease.