Precious Nwonu, Enugu
Nigeria recorded 263 deaths from Lassa fever among 1,115 confirmed cases between January and September 20, 2026, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
The figures were contained in the NCDC’s situation report for September 14 to 20, which showed that the case fatality rate had risen to 23.6 per cent, compared with 18.5 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025.
The agency reported 906 confirmed infections and 168 deaths within the corresponding period last year.
According to the report, Nigeria recorded 8,218 suspected cases in the first 38 weeks of 2026, compared with 7,792 during the same period in 2025. Confirmed infections were reported in 119 local government areas across 24 states.
Five states accounted for approximately 87 per cent of confirmed cases, with Ondo recording the highest number at 393.
Bauchi followed with 260 cases, while Taraba recorded 133, Edo had 122, and Benue reported 61 confirmed infections.
During the week under review, the country recorded 11 new confirmed cases and four deaths from 120 suspected cases. The weekly number of confirmed infections dropped from 17 in the preceding week.
The report identified people aged 21 to 30 as the most affected group, although confirmed cases occurred among individuals aged between one and 93 years.
No new infection among healthcare workers was reported during the week, but the cumulative number of affected health workers stood at 54.
The NCDC attributed the rising fatality rate partly to patients arriving at health facilities late, which can delay diagnosis and treatment.
Other challenges identified by the agency included the high cost of treatment, poor environmental sanitation, limited awareness in highly affected communities and infections among healthcare workers.
To strengthen the response, the NCDC urged state governments to sustain community awareness campaigns on Lassa fever prevention throughout the year.
It also advised healthcare workers to maintain a high level of suspicion for the disease, refer suspected cases promptly, initiate timely treatment and adhere to infection prevention and control measures.
The agency said response efforts included active case searches, contact tracing, training for frontline health workers, distribution of protective equipment and continued laboratory testing.
The national Lassa fever technical working group also continued to coordinate response activities across different levels of the health system.
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