RismadarVoice Reporters, August 10, 2026
Nigeria’s Lassa fever outbreak has continued to worsen, with 237 deaths recorded among 1,000 confirmed cases reported across the country in 2026.
The figures put the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) at 23.7 per cent, according to the latest situation report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), covering epidemiological week 30.
The fatality rate is higher than the 18.8 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025, highlighting the severity of the current outbreak.
Although newly confirmed cases declined from 20 in week 29 to 17 in week 30, the cumulative number of deaths rose from 231 to 237.
The 17 new cases recorded between July 20 and 26 were reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo and Benue states.
The NCDC said 23 states had now recorded at least one confirmed case across 116 Local Government Areas, indicating the widespread nature of the disease.
Five states Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue account for 86 per cent of all confirmed cases nationwide.
Ondo recorded the highest proportion with 32 per cent, followed by Bauchi with 25 per cent, Taraba 13 per cent, Edo 10 per cent and Benue six per cent.
The NCDC attributed the high number of deaths partly to late presentation at healthcare facilities, the high cost of treatment and poor health-seeking behaviour.
Other challenges identified by the agency include inadequate environmental sanitation in high-burden communities, limited public awareness and continued infections among healthcare workers.
The NCDC urged Nigerians experiencing symptoms associated with Lassa fever to seek medical attention promptly, warning that delays in treatment could worsen outcomes.
Healthcare workers were also advised to maintain a high level of suspicion for the disease, ensure early referral and treatment, and strictly observe infection prevention and control measures.
The agency further called on state authorities to sustain year-round community awareness campaigns on Lassa fever rather than limiting preventive activities to outbreak periods.
Young adults remain the most affected group, with people aged 21 to 30 years accounting for the highest proportion of confirmed cases. However, confirmed patients range from one to 93 years old, with a median age of 30.
The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases stands at 1:0.9.
The NCDC also noted that suspected and confirmed Lassa fever cases recorded in 2026 remained higher than those reported during the corresponding period last year.
Healthcare workers continue to face occupational risks, with one additional health worker reported to have contracted the disease during epidemiological week 30.
In response, the NCDC and its partners have developed a 30-day Healthcare Worker Protection Plan aimed at reducing infections among frontline personnel, particularly in endemic states.
The plan includes infection prevention and control training, distribution and pre-positioning of personal protective equipment, hand hygiene audits and investigations into infections involving healthcare workers.
The agency said rapid response teams had also been deployed to seven high-burden states to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Other measures include active case searches, contact tracing, laboratory testing, community engagement, risk communication and sensitisation programmes involving traditional and religious leaders.
The NCDC said frontline healthcare workers in several affected states had also received training on Lassa fever case management and infection prevention and control.
The concentration of cases in five states remains a major concern, with Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue jointly accounting for 86 per cent of confirmed infections nationwide.
The National Lassa Fever Multisectoral, Multi-partner Technical Working Group continues to coordinate response activities at national and state levels.
The NCDC said the national Lassa fever Incident Management System had been deactivated to alert mode, while response coordination continues through the technical working group.
A dynamic risk assessment of the outbreak has also been conducted with relevant stakeholders, according to the agency.
Beyond medical treatment, the NCDC stressed the importance of community-level prevention in reducing transmission.
The agency said sensitisation activities were ongoing among farmers, market women and other community groups, while traditional and religious leaders were also being engaged in affected states.
It added that social and behavioural change materials were being distributed to state health promotion officers and other risk communication stakeholders.
Lassa fever is primarily transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated with the urine or faeces of infected rodents. Person-to-person transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings where adequate infection prevention and control measures are not followed.
The NCDC urged states to strengthen their capacity to prevent, detect and respond quickly to Lassa fever cases to reduce further deaths and contain the spread of the disease.
