By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Nasarawa State Ministry of Health has confirmed one official case of Lassa fever in Awe Local Government Area, even as fears over a suspected outbreak forced the temporary closure of the General Hospital in the area and left four persons dead.
Director of Public Health at the ministry, Dr. Peter Attah, said the confirmed patient died before laboratory test results were released, adding that investigations and intensified surveillance were ongoing to prevent further spread of the disease.
The situation in Awe deteriorated following the deaths of four persons, including two pregnant women, under circumstances suspected to be linked to Lassa fever.
Health authorities disclosed that several medical personnel, among them the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, have been placed in isolation as a precaution after possible exposure to suspected cases.
According to health officials, the outbreak was first suspected when a woman was rushed to a health facility in Awe with symptoms consistent with Lassa fever but died before treatment could commence.
Her husband later developed similar symptoms and also died, raising concerns about possible human-to-human transmission.
The Disease Surveillance Officer in the area, Mallam Ahmad Yahuza Abdullahi, attributed the worsening situation to poor handling of suspected cases and serious logistical gaps in disease monitoring across the state.
He revealed that Disease Surveillance Officers in all 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State lack motorcycles, a situation he said has severely hampered rapid response, especially in hard-to-reach communities.
Abdullahi further disclosed that although the state government deployed an ambulance to evacuate six suspected cases from Awe to Lafia for isolation, the individuals reportedly absconded before their laboratory test results were made available.
At the General Hospital, Awe, health workers expressed fear and frustration over what they described as inadequate protective equipment.
A nurse at the facility, Mr. Ovey Polycarp, said medical personnel were working under tense conditions due to the absence of essential safety gear.
He explained that two pregnant women admitted around the same period initially presented symptoms similar to malaria, but their conditions worsened rapidly, resulting in their deaths.
“We are living in fear because we do not have the necessary protective equipment to manage this outbreak,” Polycarp said.
The temporary closure of the hospital has heightened anxiety in the community, as residents await clearer information from health authorities amid ongoing surveillance and containment efforts.