The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has confirmed 776 cases of Lassa fever and 191 related deaths across 23 states in 2026, raising concerns over the rising fatality rate and continued spread of the disease in endemic communities.
In its Epidemiological Week 18 situation report, covering April 27 to May 3, the agency stated that the Case Fatality Rate, CFR, stood at 24.6 per cent, higher than the 19.2 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025.
The report showed that 22 new confirmed cases were recorded in the latest reporting week, up from nine cases reported in Week 17. The new infections were reported in Ondo, Edo and Plateau states.
According to the agency, 4,861 suspected cases have so far been recorded in 2026, while five probable cases were documented across 106 Local Government Areas in 23 states.
The NCDC stated that 84 per cent of all confirmed cases were reported from five states, Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Benue. Bauchi and Ondo accounted for the highest burden with 26 per cent each, followed by Taraba with 16 per cent, Edo with nine per cent and Benue with seven per cent.
It added that the most affected age group was between 21 and 30 years, with confirmed cases ranging from one to 90 years and a median age of 30 years. The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases was put at 1:0.9.
The agency also disclosed that one healthcare worker was infected during the reporting week, amid concerns over infections among frontline health personnel.
The report noted that while the number of suspected cases declined compared to the same period in 2025, confirmed cases increased.
To strengthen outbreak response, the NCDC said the national multi-partner and multi-sectoral Incident Management System had been activated to coordinate response activities at all levels.
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The agency listed several interventions carried out during the period, including infection prevention and control training for healthcare workers in endemic states, community engagement with traditional and religious leaders, sensitization campaigns for farmers and market women, and deployment of rapid response teams to seven high-burden states.
Other response activities included active case search and contact tracing, distribution of personal protective equipment to health facilities, laboratory testing across the national network, and the development of a 30-day healthcare worker protection plan with support from the World Health Organization and the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The NCDC identified late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behavior driven by the high cost of treatment, poor environmental sanitation and low public awareness in high-burden communities as major challenges affecting containment efforts.
It urged state governments to intensify year-round community engagement on Lassa fever prevention, while advising healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion and adhere strictly to infection prevention and control measures.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
