Benue State Reports 10 Deaths Among Health Workers Due to Lassa Fever

The government of Benue State has announced the unfortunate demise of 10 healthcare workers as a result of a recent outbreak of Lassa fever. Among the deceased are five medical doctors, highlighting the severe impact of the virus on health professionals.

This information was disclosed by the African Independent Television (AIT) in a report aired on Friday.

Asema Msuega, the state epidemiologist, informed that there have been 250 suspected cases of Lassa fever documented in Benue, with 45 cases confirmed to date.

Recent data from the state epidemiology unit reveals an increase in the number of infections, which prompted a visit by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Paul Ogwuche, to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital located in Makurdi for an evaluation of the situation.

Describing the high rate of infections among healthcare workers as alarming, Mr. Msuega indicated that this trend suggests a possibility of human-to-human transmission. He pointed out deficiencies in infection prevention and control measures as contributing factors.

In light of the outbreak, Stephen Hwande, the Chief Medical Director of the teaching hospital, urged the community to follow strict safety protocols to prevent further spread of the illness. He assured that the hospital has fortified its safety measures to contain the virus.

The state government praised the dedication of health workers amidst these challenges and reaffirmed its commitment to managing the outbreak effectively.

This alarming situation in Benue coincides with rising concerns over Lassa fever cases across the nation. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) recently highlighted significant challenges impeding timely detection and response efforts, including high transportation costs for samples, reporting discrepancies, and weak data validation systems.

As reported by the Director-General of NCDC, Jide Idris, transporting specimens from remote communities to state laboratories remains an expensive and complex task, particularly in inaccessible areas, which delays confirmation and response efforts.

In a recent epidemiological report, NCDC documented 74 new confirmed cases during Epidemiological Week 6 (from February 2 to 8, 2026), reflecting an increase from 44 cases recorded in the previous week.

The newest cases emerged from eight states: Taraba, Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Ebonyi.

Throughout the week, there were also 271 suspected cases and 15 fatalities reported, resulting in a case fatality rate of 20.3% for confirmed cases. Alarmingly, two additional healthcare workers were infected during this reporting period, raising concerns about the compliance with infection prevention protocols in health facilities.

From the start of 2026, there have been a total of 1,034 suspected cases, 240 confirmed cases, and four probable cases across 10 states and 42 local government areas.

Additionally, 51 fatalities among confirmed cases have been recorded, with a case fatality rate of 21.3%, up from 19.4% during the same period last year. However, the overall counts of suspected and confirmed cases so far this year are lower compared to last year's statistics for the same timeframe.