The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 469 cases of Lassa Fever and 109 deaths across the country in 2026, with a case fatality rate of 23.2 per cent—higher than the 18.7 per cent recorded within the same period in 2025.
According to the agency’s Week 9 Epidemiological Report, which covers February 23 to March 1, a total of 65 new confirmed cases were recorded, marking a slight decline from the 77 cases reported in Week 8.
The new infections were reported in Benue, Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, Plateau and Nasarawa states. The NCDC also disclosed that six healthcare workers were infected during the reporting week, bringing the total number of affected health personnel to 37 so far this year.
Between Week 1 and Week 9 of 2026, Nigeria recorded 2,446 suspected cases of Lassa fever, out of which 469 were confirmed and four classified as probable. The agency noted that 86 per cent of confirmed cases were concentrated in five states—Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo—while the remaining 14 per cent were spread across 13 other states.
In total, 18 states across 69 local government areas have reported at least one confirmed case in 2026. The most affected age group is 21 to 30 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.8.
The NCDC said it has activated the national Incident Management System to coordinate response efforts, including intensified case searches, contact tracing, and deployment of rapid response teams to seven high-burden states. It also noted that treatment centres have received personal protective equipment and other essential materials.
The response efforts are being supported by partners such as the World Health Organization, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite these interventions, the agency highlighted several challenges, including late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour due to treatment costs, inadequate environmental sanitation, and rising infections among healthcare workers.
The NCDC urged state governments to strengthen community engagement on prevention and called on healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, ensure early referrals, and strictly adhere to infection prevention and control protocols.
