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… The disease spreads to 23 states despite control efforts
…Young adults remain hardest hit as transmission spreads to 114 LGAs
Daud Olatunji
The Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention has raised fresh concerns over the resurgence of Lassa fever after confirmed infections rose again, with the death toll rising to 229 nationwide.
The agency revealed that Nigeria had recorded 963 confirmed cases and 229 deaths as of epidemiological week 28 of 2026, warning that the disease continued to spread in affected states despite ongoing response efforts.
According to the NCDC’s latest Lassa fever report released Friday, confirmed cases, which had decreased from 31 in week 26 to 14 in week 27, increased again to 25 in week 28, signaling sustained transmission.
The new infections were recorded in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Kogi and Cross River states.
The report showed that the country’s mortality rate stood at 23.8%, significantly higher than the 18.7% recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
The agency noted that as of week 27, Nigeria had recorded 936 confirmed cases and 224 deaths, representing a mortality rate of 23.9%, compared to 18.9% in the same period last year.
The NCDC said the outbreak has now affected 23 states, with confirmed cases reported in 114 local government areas, up from 113 LGAs recorded in week 27.
He added that Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo states remained the epicenters of the outbreak, accounting for about 86% of all confirmed cases in week 28.
According to the report, people between the ages of 21 and 30 remain the most affected, indicating that the disease continues to disproportionately impact young adults.
The agency also reported that while no healthcare workers were infected during week 27, one healthcare worker contracted the disease in week 28.
The NCDC urged state governments, health workers and residents to support surveillance, ensure early detection of suspected cases, initiate timely treatment and strictly adhere to infection prevention and control measures.
He also called for intensifying public awareness campaigns to curb transmission and reduce deaths as the country battles the persistent epidemic.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted primarily through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or feces of infected multimammated rats, although human-to-human transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings. The disease remains endemic in several parts of Nigeria.
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