A suspected outbreak of Lassa fever in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State has resulted in the deaths of four persons, triggering heightened surveillance and emergency public health measures by state authorities.
The fatalities, which reportedly include two pregnant women, occurred within a short timeframe, raising concerns about delayed presentation and infection prevention gaps at the community and facility levels. Health officials have confirmed that one of the deaths has been laboratory-confirmed as Lassa fever, while the remaining cases are being treated as suspected, pending further investigation.
The disease surveillance officer, Malami Ahmad Yahuza Adcullah indicated that the outbreak started when a woman presenting with symptoms consistent with viral haemorrhagic fever was taken to the General Hospital, Awe, where she died before definitive treatment could be administered. Her husband later developed similar symptoms and subsequently died, suggesting possible household transmission.
He noted that lack of logistics, particularly limited transportation and inadequate protective equipment for surveillance teams operating in remote communities has left the practitioners with little or no solutions to the challenges.
Abdullahi also reports that some suspected contacts taken to an isolation facility in Lafia left before their test results were released. Authorities later clarified that the individuals tested negative, but the incident heightened anxiety within the affected communities.
In response to the development, the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health ordered the temporary closure of the General Hospital in Awe to allow for fumigation, risk assessment and contact tracing. Health workers who had contact with the suspected cases, including the medical supritendent were placed under isolation and monitoring in line with standard infection prevention and control protocols.
Lassa fever, a rodent-borne viral haemorrhagic disease, remains endemic in Nigeria, with seasonal outbreaks typically occurring between November and April. National surveillance data show that Nigeria recorded over 1,100 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths in 2025, underscoring the persistent public health burden posed by the disease.
Health authorities in Nasarawa have urged healthcare facilities to maintain a high index of suspicion for febrile illnesses, strictly adhere to infection prevention measures, and promptly refer suspected cases to designated treatment centres.
Members of the public have also been advised to improve environmental sanitation, prevent food contamination by rodents, and seek early medical attention for symptoms such as persistent fever, weakness, vomiting or unexplained bleeding.
