The Benue State Government has confirmed the deaths of 10 health workers, including five medical doctors, following a recent Lassa fever outbreak in the state.
The disclosure was made in a report by African Independent Television (AIT) on Friday.
According to the state epidemiologist, Asema Msuega, Benue has recorded 250 suspected cases of Lassa fever, with 45 cases confirmed through laboratory testing.
Fresh data from the state’s epidemiology unit indicates a sharp rise in infections, prompting the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Paul Ogwuche, to visit the Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi for an on-the-spot assessment.
Msuega described the high infection rate among healthcare workers as alarming, noting that it suggests possible human-to-human transmission. He attributed the situation to lapses in infection prevention and control measures within health facilities.
Providing updates on containment efforts, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Stephen Hwande, urged residents to adhere strictly to infection prevention guidelines. He added that the hospital has strengthened precautionary and safety protocols to curb further spread.
The state government commended healthcare workers for their dedication and sacrifices, reaffirming its commitment to containing the outbreak.
The situation in Benue mirrors growing concerns over rising Lassa fever cases nationwide. Earlier, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) highlighted key challenges hampering swift detection and response in some states, including high specimen transportation costs, inconsistent reporting, and weak data validation systems.
The agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, explained that transporting samples from remote communities to state laboratories remains expensive and logistically difficult, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, leading to delays in confirmation and response.
In its latest situation report, the NCDC recorded 74 new confirmed cases in Epidemiological Week 6 (2–8 February 2026), up from 44 cases in Week 5. The new infections were reported in Taraba, Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Ebonyi states.
Within the same week, 271 suspected cases and 15 deaths were documented, with a case fatality rate of 20.3 percent among confirmed cases. Two additional healthcare workers were also infected, heightening concerns about compliance with infection prevention protocols in medical facilities.
From Epidemiological Week 1 to Week 6 in 2026, Nigeria recorded 1,034 suspected cases, 240 confirmed cases, and four probable cases across 10 states and 42 Local Government Areas. During this period, 51 deaths were reported among confirmed cases, representing a case fatality rate of 21.3 percent — higher than the 19.4 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.
Despite the rise in fatalities, the NCDC noted that the total number of suspected and confirmed cases so far in 2026 remains lower than figures reported within the corresponding timeframe last year.
