Lassa Fever Kills 10 Health Workers In Benue
The Benue State Government on Friday confirmed the death of 10 health workers following an outbreak of Lassa fever, with 45 cases testing positive out of 250 suspected infections recorded across the state.
The State Epidemiologist, Dr Msuega Asema, disclosed during an assessment visit by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ejeh-Ogwuche, to isolation centres at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi.
Asema said the outbreak has severely affected frontline workers, including five medical doctors, four nurses, two community health extension workers and one hospital porter.
He described the rising infections among health personnel as alarming.
He stated that out of the 250 suspected cases reported so far, 45 have been confirmed, with 10 cumulative deaths among health workers.
Speaking during the visit, Ejeh-Ogwuche urged residents not to panic, noting that the government had declared a Lassa fever outbreak on February 3 and activated containment measures.
He attributed the high infection rate among health workers to human-to-human transmission and lapses in infection prevention protocols.
“We are here to assess the situation on the ground. The figures may look disturbing, but the government, under Governor Hyacinth Alia, is fully committed to containing the outbreak. Necessary resources are being mobilised to ensure swift containment,” he said.
The commissioner added that surveillance officers have been deployed across the 23 local government areas to strengthen monitoring, contact tracing and community engagement.
He appealed to residents to promptly report symptoms at designated health facilities to reduce fatalities.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
