Nigeria Records 263 Lassa Fever Deaths, 1,115 Confirmed Cases Across 24 States
Nigeria has recorded 263 deaths and 1,115 confirmed cases of Lassa fever across 24 states, with the disease’s case fatality rate rising to 23.6 per cent, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The figures were contained in the NCDC’s situation report for epidemiological week 38, covering September 14 to 20, 2026.
The report showed that the case fatality rate increased from 18.5 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025, despite a decline in new infections during the week under review.
According to the agency, 11 new confirmed cases were recorded during the week, compared with 17 cases reported in the preceding week.
The new infections were reported in Ondo, Edo and Taraba states, while the disease had spread across 119 local government areas in 24 states.
The NCDC stated that five states accounted for 87 per cent of all confirmed cases, identifying Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo as the states with the highest burden.
The report further identified people aged between 21 and 30 as the most affected age group.
However, no new healthcare worker infection was recorded during the week under review.
A comparison with the previous reporting period showed that by the end of epidemiological week 37, Nigeria had recorded 1,104 confirmed cases and 259 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 23.5 per cent.
Lassa fever is an acute viral illness primarily transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents. Human-to-human transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings where adequate infection prevention and control measures are not observed.
The NCDC urged healthcare workers and members of the public to maintain preventive measures and promptly report suspected cases to the appropriate health authorities.