Lassa Fever Death Toll Rises to 258 in Nigeria as Fatality Rate Hits 24%

Nigeria recorded 18 new confirmed cases of Lassa fever in epidemiological week 35, bringing the total number of confirmed cases reported in 2026 to 1,074.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said 258 people had died from the disease across 24 states, pushing the cumulative case fatality rate to 24 per cent.

The latest Lassa Fever Situation Report, covering August 24 to 30, 2026, showed that the 18 new cases were recorded in Ondo, Edo and Bauchi states.

The NCDC said the number of new confirmed cases dropped from 21 in week 34 to 18 in week 35.

However, the agency noted that the current fatality rate was considerably higher than the 18.6 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025, when 162 deaths were reported.

So far this year, Nigeria has recorded 7,785 suspected cases of Lassa fever, compared with 7,375 suspected cases during the same period last year.

According to the NCDC, five states accounted for 86 per cent of all confirmed cases recorded in 2026.

They are Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue.

Ondo State accounted for the largest proportion with 34 per cent of confirmed cases, followed by Bauchi with 24 per cent, Taraba with 12 per cent, Edo with 10 per cent and Benue with six per cent.

The agency said people aged between 21 and 30 years constituted the predominant age group affected by the disease.

It added that confirmed cases involved patients aged between one and 93 years, with a median age of 30.

The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases was recorded at 1:0.9.

The NCDC reported that no new healthcare worker infection was recorded during week 35. However, 54 healthcare workers have been affected by Lassa fever cumulatively this year.

During the reporting week, 13 patients were being managed at designated treatment centres, bringing the total number of patients managed at treatment centres so far this year to 816.

The NCDC attributed the high fatality rate partly to late presentation at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour and the high cost associated with treatment and clinical management.

Other challenges identified by the agency include poor environmental sanitation, inadequate awareness in communities with a high burden of the disease and infections among healthcare workers.

To strengthen the response, the NCDC said it had continued to improve surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control, contact tracing and community engagement in affected states.

The agency also disclosed that National Rapid Response Teams had been deployed to seven high-burden states, while personal protective equipment and other infection prevention supplies had been distributed to healthcare facilities.

In addition, the NCDC developed a 30-day Healthcare Worker Protection Plan for Lassa fever with support from the World Health Organisation and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The plan is designed to reduce the risk of infection among frontline healthcare workers in states affected by Lassa fever.

The agency urged state governments to sustain community engagement throughout the year and strengthen measures to prevent, detect and respond quickly to suspected and confirmed cases.

It also advised healthcare workers to maintain a high level of suspicion for Lassa fever, ensure prompt referral and treatment, and strictly observe standard infection prevention and control procedures.

The NCDC further called on states and development partners to strengthen their capacity to prevent, detect and respond to Lassa fever outbreaks.

It also stressed the importance of improved environmental sanitation and increased public awareness, particularly in communities with a high burden of the disease.

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