Nigeria records 214 lassa fever deaths as fatality rises to 25%

Nigeria has recorded 214 deaths from Lassa fever in 2026, with the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) rising to 25%, according to the latest situation report released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

The NCDC said the CFR recorded so far this year is higher than the 18.9% reported during the same period in 2025, indicating increased severity of the outbreak despite ongoing response efforts.

According to the report, the country recorded 855 confirmed cases out of 5652 suspected cases. For week 23, 138 suspected and 13 confirmed cases was reported. The new confirmed cases were recorded in Edo, Ondo, Bauchi and Ebonyi states.

The agency said a total of 23 states have now recorded at least one confirmed Lassa fever case across 109 local government areas in 2026.

The NCDC also noted that the number of suspected and confirmed Lassa fever cases has increased compared with the same period in 2025.

The report showed that the burden of confirmed cases remains concentrated in a few states, with 84% of all confirmed infections reported from five states, Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue.

Ondo State accounted for the highest proportion with 28% of confirmed cases, followed by Bauchi with 25%, Taraba with 15%, Edo with 10% and Benue with six percent. The remaining 16% of confirmed cases were reported across 18 other states with confirmed infections.

The disease continues to affect mainly younger adults, with the predominant age group among confirmed cases being those between 21 and 30 years. The ages of affected persons ranged from one to 93 years, with a median age of 30 years.

The agency reported that no new healthcare worker infection was recorded during epidemiological week 23.

To strengthen the national response, the NCDC said the multi-partner and multi-sectoral Lassa fever Incident Management System (IMS) has been activated to coordinate response activities at national and subnational levels.

Lassa fever, a viral haemorrhagic disease endemic in Nigeria, is primarily transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents, though human-to-human transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings.