An outbreak of Lassa fever has resulted in nine fatalities spanning seven local government areas in Benue State. The confirmation came from the state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Yanmar Ortese, during a telephone conversation on Thursday, where he mentioned being in a meeting with the Director-General of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to discuss the matter.
Dr. Ortese explained that some cases were identified in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the state and among health workers. The state epidemiologist, Dr. Terungwa Ngishe, disclosed that there are currently 46 confirmed cases of Lassa fever distributed across seven local government areas, namely: Obi, Okpokwu, Gwer West, Makurdi, Guma, Gwer East, and Ukum.
Dr. Ngishe noted that the number of cases represents an increase compared to the previous year. Unfortunately, there have been nine deaths in confirmed cases. The deceased have been laid to rest following safe burial protocols in various areas of the state.
Efforts to combat the outbreak have been sustained through interventions from the Federal Government, World Bank, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). These interventions aim to enhance surveillance, promote risk communication for social behavior change, and address the laboratory aspects of the response.
Dr. Ngishe expressed the hope of reducing the fatality rate to less than 10 percent, in line with national expectations. He acknowledged challenges such as a shortage of personnel and emphasized the need for additional staff to strengthen the response.
The epidemiologist highlighted that the first case of the current Lassa fever outbreak was observed in the 50th week of the previous year. Active surveillance is ongoing in the community, particularly in IDP camps facing challenges of poor sanitation, crowded environments, and malnutrition.
