Benue State is combating a Lassa fever outbreak, with nine lives claimed in the past two months, heightening concerns among residents and health authorities.

The state epidemiologist, Dr. Sam Ngishe, addressed the media on Thursday, revealing the severity of the situation. “From our report so far, the IDP camp has a high population of rats. So, if the rats transmitting are within the IDP camps, it means that we need to work hard so we don’t have an outbreak that will be difficult to control,” Ngishe said.

He reported that a total of 46 people, including health workers and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), have been affected by the disease across the state. The outbreak has spread to seven of the 23 local government areas, including Obi, Okpokwu, Gwer West, Makurdi, Guma, Gwer East, and Ukum.

“Nine deaths in confirmed cases, and they have been buried in accordance with safe burial protocols across the various areas of the state where they hail from,” Ngishe disclosed, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.

To address the outbreak, the state government has implemented safe burial protocols and is intensifying efforts to reduce the fatality rate, which currently stands above the national average of 10 percent.

Ngishe stressed the importance of enhanced surveillance, risk communication, and community engagement to mitigate the spread of the disease. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the IDP camp environment, citing poor sanitation, overcrowding, and malnutrition as factors contributing to the spread of infectious diseases.

“There is active surveillance going on in the community (housing Ortese IDP camp) as you know that the IDP camp is a cluster setting with very poor infection control in terms of poor sanitation, crowded environment, and they have issues of malnutrition,” he noted.