Two Lives Lost As Lassa Fever Cases Rise To Nine In Benue

Two deaths have been recorded from Lassa fever in Benue State, just days after health authorities confirmed the emergence of new cases of the viral infection.

The State Commissioner for Health, Paul Ogwuche, made the disclosure on Thursday in Makurdi, explaining that reported cases of the disease have risen steadily over the last two weeks.

He said the latest update from the state’s disease surveillance platform shows that two fresh cases were added, raising the number of suspected infections to nine. Out of these, five have been confirmed positive, with two fatalities recorded.

“As we speak now, there are nine suspected cases of Lassa fever on our dashboard. About five are positive, and unfortunately, two of them have resulted in mortality,” Ogwuche said.

The commissioner noted that the infections were mainly traced to Buruku and Makurdi Local Government Areas, revealing that health workers were also affected.

“The cases involved are in Buruku and Makurdi LGAs. Two cases came from Buruku but were diagnosed in Makurdi. There are also cases involving two health workers,” he added.

Ogwuche stated that the Benue State Government has swung into action by activating emergency public health measures to curb further spread of the disease.

“As a ministry, we have responded appropriately. We have our incident rapid response team, activated our Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, and put in place all necessary mechanisms,” he said.

He urged residents to improve hygiene practices and take preventive measures against rodents, particularly rats, which are known carriers of the virus.

“The people must pay attention to hygiene and sanitation. Avoid rodents, especially rats. During the dry season, when grasses are burnt, rodents seek shelter in homes. If food, especially raw food items, is left uncovered, it can become a source of infection,” he warned.

According to the commissioner, disease monitoring has been intensified across all local government areas to allow for prompt identification and treatment of cases.

“One of the best ways to manage Lassa fever is early diagnosis and treatment. We have disease surveillance officers in all LGAs, and we have heightened their level of suspicion,” Ogwuche said.

He also explained that the two newly detected cases, though asymptomatic, would be placed in isolation as a preventive step.

“The two cases are not symptomatic, but we want to take them into isolation so we can commence all management protocols,” he said.

Ogwuche further appealed to the public to immediately report symptoms such as persistent fever, general weakness, fatigue, or any form of bleeding.

He added that the ministry would soon hold a stakeholders’ meeting involving relevant institutions and partners to reinforce containment strategies.

“We are involving the Federal Medical Centre, which hosts the molecular laboratory, the Teaching Hospital where the state isolation centre is located, the World Health Organisation, state epidemiology teams, and donor partners to ensure this deadly disease is contained,” he said.