The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 204 deaths from Lassa fever across the country between January and May 2026, with the case fatality rate rising above figures recorded during the same period last year.
According to the NCDC Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epidemiological Week 19, released for the period between May 4 and May 10, the country recorded 793 confirmed cases out of 5,034 suspected cases across 23 states and 108 local government areas.
The agency said the 25.7 per cent case fatality rate recorded in 2026 was significantly higher than the 19.4 per cent reported within the same period in 2025.
In week 19, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 22 in Epi week 18 to 17,” the report stated, noting that the new infections were recorded in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Kogi, Taraba and Nasarawa states.
The NCDC disclosed that five states — Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Benue — accounted for 84 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases reported in 2026. Bauchi and Ondo states each contributed 26 per cent of the cases, while Taraba accounted for 16 per cent, Edo nine per cent and Benue 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 old and a median age of 30 years. The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases stood at 1:0.9.
The agency also confirmed that one healthcare worker was infected during the reporting week.
To contain the outbreak, the NCDC said it had activated a national multi-partner and multi-sectoral Incident Management System to coordinate response activities nationwide.
The report listed several response measures already underway, including infection prevention and control training for health workers in endemic states, active case search and contact tracing, deployment of rapid response teams to seven high-burden states, and the distribution of personal protective equipment to health facilities.
The agency identified late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour caused by the high cost of treatment, poor environmental sanitation and low public awareness as major challenges fueling the outbreak.
The NCDC urged State governments to strengthen year-round community engagement on Lassa fever prevention, while advising healthcare workers to maintain a high level of suspicion for the disease and ensure timely referral and treatment of suspected cases.