Lassa fever: Plateau confirms 3 more deaths

The Plateau State Government has confirmed three additional deaths from Lassa fever, raising concerns over the spread of the viral disease in the state. The confirmation comes after the death of Dr. Salome Oboyi, a resident doctor at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Jos, who reportedly contracted the infection from a patient under her […]

The Plateau State Government has confirmed three additional deaths from Lassa fever, raising concerns over the spread of the viral disease in the state.

The confirmation comes after the death of Dr. Salome Oboyi, a resident doctor at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Jos, who reportedly contracted the infection from a patient under her care.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed the latest fatalities during an interview with Channels Television in Jos.

He said the victims died after laboratory tests confirmed they were infected with Lassa fever.

Baamlong assured residents that the state government had activated emergency response measures to contain the outbreak and prevent further transmission.

He noted that surveillance and public health interventions had been intensified across affected communities and health facilities.

According to him, Plateau State has so far recorded eight laboratory-confirmed cases of Lassa fever, with three resulting deaths.

He added that contact tracing, active surveillance and other public health response activities were ongoing, while healthcare workers had been placed on high alert to promptly identify and manage suspected cases.

The commissioner further disclosed that the state had received vaccines from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as part of efforts to strengthen its response and curb the spread of the disease.