A senior medical doctor working with the AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria, in the Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State, has died following complications from Lassa fever.
The State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ejeh-Ogwuche, confirmed the development on Monday in Makurdi, saying the ministry had activated contact tracing and surveillance measures in response to the case.
According to him, the deceased reportedly battled the illness for over two weeks before his condition worsened.
Ogwuche said the death occurred at a time the state was preparing to be declared free of Lassa fever.
“There is a fresh case of Lassa fever in the state. He was a doctor and was buried last Saturday, June 20, 2026. He worked with APIN Foundation in Konshisha Local Government Area but hailed from Kwande Local Government Area,” the commissioner said.
“For over two weeks, he was struggling, and when there was no improvement, a friend suggested his condition was suggestive of Lassa fever. A test carried out returned positive.
“So when we wanted to admit him at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, he declined, requesting to be managed at home with drugs and injections. We insisted that he be taken to the teaching hospital for proper evaluation.”
The commissioner further disclosed that initial investigations indicated that the deceased already had kidney complications.
“As a result, we referred him to the University of Jos Teaching Hospital in Plateau State, where he later died. His remains were brought back and buried in line with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention burial protocols on Saturday,” he said.
Following the renewed outbreak, Ogwuche said the ministry had intensified public awareness campaigns and reactivated response measures across communities.
He added that health authorities had been placed on alert following recent updates on other infectious disease threats, including Ebola, while surveillance had been strengthened across health facilities.
“We have been doing sensitisation, checking our facilities, and heightening surveillance. In this case, we have also commenced case investigation and contact tracing,” he said.
He noted that the state had been close to declaring the outbreak over after completing a 42-day incubation monitoring period before the new case emerged, adding that a fresh cycle of observation would now be required before any declaration can be made.
