Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,086 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and 259 deaths across 24 states in Nigeria in 2026.
The figures were contained in the agency’s Lassa Fever Situation Report for epidemiological week 36, covering August 31 to September 6, 2026.
According to the report, Nigeria recorded 12 new confirmed cases during the week, representing a decline from the 18 cases reported in the preceding epidemiological week.
The new infections were recorded in Ondo, Edo and Kogi states.
With 259 deaths among the 1,086 confirmed cases, the case fatality rate stood at 23.9 per cent.
The NCDC noted that the current fatality rate remained higher than the 18.6 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
The agency said confirmed cases had been reported in 118 local government areas across the 24 affected states.
Five states, namely Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo, accounted for 87 per cent of all confirmed cases recorded in the country during the year.
The report also identified people aged between 21 and 30 as the age group most affected by the disease.
No new healthcare worker was reported to have contracted Lassa fever during epidemiological week 36, according to the NCDC.
The latest figures represent an increase from the 1,074 confirmed cases and 258 deaths recorded at the end of epidemiological week 35.
During week 35, Nigeria recorded 18 new confirmed cases in Ondo, Edo and Bauchi states, while the case fatality rate stood at 24 per cent.
The NCDC said 86 per cent of the confirmed cases recorded by week 35 had come from Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo states.
The agency said it would continue surveillance and response activities across affected states, with particular attention to confirmed infections, fatalities and possible infections among healthcare workers.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness that can be transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents. Human-to-human transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings without adequate infection prevention and control measures.