Taraba, Katsina, Bauchi hotspots of Lassa, one of four patients die

…50 killed in Taraba only out of 135 national figure

…516 cases recorded across country

Lassa fever, also known as haemorrhagic illness, has continued to rattle Nigerians in different States, especially Taraba, Katsina and Bauchi in Northern Nigeria as one out of four infected persons die.

In Taraba State alone, 50 persons were confirmed killed by Lassa fever at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Jalingo, between November 2025 and March 2026.

Abubakar Kirim, a Physician at the tertiary health facility which is the biggest hospital in Taraba State, confirmed that the State had recorded the largest number of the disease in the year 2026, calling on all tiers of Government to step in with advocacy and preventive measures.

Kirim, who is the Head of Clinical Services at the FMC, Jalingo, also disclosed that the hospital is battling with acute shortage of medical doctors to cope with the epidemic.

He said lack of awareness to the locals is behind the rising cases of Lassa fever in the State.

“The Government and stakeholders in the health sector can come in by creating awareness to the people on how to keep away from the Rats which is the carrier of this disease”, he noted.

He stated that Lassa fever is becoming a surge that if not well handled, could claim lives on a daily basis.

Kirim said between November 2025 to March 2026, a total of 226 suspected cases of Lassa fever were admitted at the facility out of which 95 were laboratory-confirmed, a total of 50 patients died, while 20 others had been successfully treated and discharged.

He added that new cases are still being reported, noting that the current situation represents the highest number of suspected cases and fatalities recorded by the centre in recent years.

He, however, expressed optimism that the rate of infection would decline with the outset of the rainy season, explaining that Lassa fever transmission is typically higher during the dry season.

Fatality rate spikes in Katsina State as new cases are being recorded, according to Mohammed Sani Abubakar, Physician and Infectious Diseases Consultant at the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina. He raised an alarm over a disturbing shift in the pattern and severity of the current Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria.

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Abubakar, who is also Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Katsina State, said the disease is proving deadlier this year, with a sharp rise in the number of deaths recorded among confirmed cases.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay on Wednesday at an Isolation Centre where a newly confirmed patient is being treated, he said the current case fatality rate is significantly higher than in previous years.

“Previously, the fatality rate ranged between 10 and 30%, but this year, nearly one in four infected persons is dying,” he said.

According to him, from January to date, more than 1,000 suspected and confirmed cases have been recorded nationwide, with about 145 deaths.

Abubakar said the outbreak, which usually peaks between January and March, has taken a different geographical pattern this year.

He explained that while previous outbreaks were concentrated in the North-East, particularly Borno and Yobe States, and parts of the South-South, especially Edo State, more than 90% of current cases are now concentrated in five frontline states: Benue, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Plateau.

“This shift may not be unconnected with climate change, insecurity, displacement of communities, poor hygiene and increased movement of rodents into homes,” he said.

Abubakar disclosed that Katsina State has recorded three confirmed cases of Lassa fever, with two deaths reported in Funtua and Kafur Local Government Areas.

He said the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina is currently treating a female patient whose husband recently died from the disease. “She is stable and responding to treatment,” he said.

He commended the hospital’s emergency response committee for promptly isolating the patient to prevent further spread and panic within the hospital.

The NMA chairman expressed concern over the growing number of healthcare workers affected by the outbreak, saying at least five doctors, alongside several nurses and other medical personnel, have died nationwide during the current epidemic.

He urged health workers to treat every case of fever with caution and ensure strict use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

But, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), said that in Nigeria this year, communities faced a particularly severe Lassa fever season since January as the country recorded 516 cases and 135 deaths, a 31% increase in deaths compared to the same period in 2025.

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“Lassa fever is a disease that essentially disguises itself,” explains Ayokunnu Raji, MSF’s emergency medical programme manager. “At the beginning, symptoms are very similar to other common illnesses in Nigeria such as malaria or typhoid – so by the time many patients arrive at our treatment centre, they are already critically ill.”

One of those patients was Musa, who lives in Bauchi State in Northern Nigeria. Earlier this year, he began experiencing headaches and stomach pain.

“It felt like I had malaria,” he said. Musa was admitted to a private clinic, but was discharged after five days, still extremely sick.“They could not understand what I was suffering from,” he said

Health workers, too, have suffered an immense toll. Lassa fever, like other haemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola, is a particularly risky disease for health staff to treat. When caring for suspected or confirmed patients, healthcare staff must wear full personal protective equipment – including gloves, masks, eye protection and gowns – to avoid becoming infected.

“However, as many people with Lassa fever are diagnosed late, healthcare workers may already have been exposed to the virus”, Raji explained.

38 health workers across Nigeria have been infected since the beginning of the year, more than double the number in the same period last year. In February, three MSF staff were also infected.

“Between 1 October 2025 and 23 March 2026, a total of 311 people tested positive at the treatment centre, of whom 68 died.

MSF teams are also working in surrounding communities, across the Local Government Areas of Bauchi, Kirfi, Toro and Tafawa Balewa, to identify suspected cases early, isolate patients and ensure their safe referral to the treatment centre.

Meanwhile, The Management of Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, said the recently introduced service packs aimed at ensuring standardisation, efficiency, safety and accountability in healthcare delivery.

The management emphasised that, in the context of recurring infectious disease outbreaks such as Lassa fever, the importance of controlled and structured healthcare systems cannot be overstated.

It noted that the service pack system is not unique to FMC Jalingo but is a standard practice in leading tertiary institutions across Nigeria, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

Similar systems, it added, are also used in advanced health systems in countries such as Ghana, the United States, India, and South Africa.

According to the management, service packs play a critical role in infection prevention and control by ensuring the availability of sterile and properly structured consumables.

“The absence of properly structured and sterile consumables, or reliance on repeatedly handled materials, increases the risk of transmission to healthcare workers and other patients, with potentially severe public health consequences. Service packs therefore, serve as a frontline safeguard for both patients and medical personnel,” a statement said.