Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has disclosed that Lassa fever has claimed 214 lives in Nigeria, with the case fatality rate rising to 25 per cent.
This was contained NCDC’s Lassa Fever Situation Report for Week 23 (June 1 to June 7, 2026).
The health agency, which disclosed that the fatality rate represents a sharp increase from the 18.9 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025, also added that both suspected and confirmed cases have also increased compared to the corresponding period last year.
“New confirmed cases remained steady in Week 23, matching the number recorded in Week 22. Infections were reported in Edo, Ondo, Bauchi and Ebonyi states. No new healthcare worker infections were reported during the week.
“The outbreak has spread across 23 states and 109 Local Government Areas since January 2026,” the report stated, just as it also added that five states account for 84 per cent of all confirmed cases.
“Ondo leads with 28 per cent, followed by Bauchi with 25 per cent, Taraba with 15 per cent, Edo with 10 per cent, and Benue with six per cent. The remaining 16 per cent of cases are spread across 18 other states with confirmed infections,” it added.
While noting that that young adults remain the most affected demographic, the health agency added that the predominant age group is 21–30 years, with cases ranging from one to 93 years and a median age of 30 years.
NCDC said that, to coordinate the response, the National Lassa Fever Multi-Partner, Multi-Sectoral Incident Management System remains activated, just as it also explained that the IMS is supporting response activities at the federal, state and local government levels.
Although no new healthcare worker infection was reported in Week 23, the NCDC said the higher fatality rate and wider geographical spread indicate continued transmission.
According to the agency, surveillance and case management efforts are ongoing across the 23 affected states.
Source : NAN
