The Plateau State Government has confirmed an outbreak of Lassa fever, with 11 cases and four deaths recorded since December 2025.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Bamlong, announced the update on Monday at a press briefing in Jos.
He said the first case was reported on December 20 in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area. This led to the immediate activation of the state’s Incident Management Team.
Two early cases triggered extensive contact tracing and increased surveillance across affected communities.
So far, the outbreak has spread to seven local government areas. Active cases have been recorded in five of them, including Mangu, Jos North and Jos South.
Bamlong said the number of contacts under monitoring has risen from 69 to 109 as health officials step up containment efforts.
Four patients are currently on admission. One has tested positive for Lassa fever, while three others are awaiting laboratory results.
The commissioner said the state is working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to manage the outbreak.
Drugs and protective equipment have been distributed to health facilities across the state.
Isolation and treatment centres are operating at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Bingham University Teaching Hospital and Plateau Specialist Hospital.
Bamlong noted that testing capacity remains a challenge because samples must be sent outside the state for confirmation.
Despite this, he assured residents that the situation is under control and that Plateau has enough personnel and facilities to handle cases.
He urged residents to seek medical attention if they develop persistent fever that does not respond to malaria treatment.
He added that symptoms such as body pains, sore throat or unexplained bleeding should not be ignored.
Health workers were also advised to strictly follow safety precautions when treating patients with fever related symptoms.
