… Disease Spreads Across 23 States Despite Control Efforts
… Young Adults Remain Worst-hit As Transmission Spreads To 114 LGAs
Daud Olatunji
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has raised fresh concerns over the resurgence of Lassa fever after confirmed infections increased again, with the death toll climbing to 229 nationwide.
The agency disclosed that Nigeria had recorded 963 confirmed cases and 229 deaths as of Epidemiological Week 28 of 2026, warning that the disease continued to spread across affected states despite ongoing response efforts.
According to the NCDC’s latest Lassa fever situation report released on Friday, confirmed cases, which had declined from 31 in Week 26 to 14 in Week 27, rose again to 25 in Week 28, signalling sustained transmission.
The new infections were recorded in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Kogi and Cross River states.
The report showed that the country’s case fatality rate stood at 23.8 per cent, significantly higher than the 18.7 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
The agency noted that by Week 27, Nigeria had recorded 936 confirmed cases and 224 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 23.9 per cent, compared with 18.9 per cent during the same period last year.
The NCDC said the outbreak had now affected 23 states, with confirmed cases reported in 114 local government areas, up from 113 LGAs recorded in Week 27.
It added that Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo states remained the epicentres of the outbreak, accounting for about 86 per cent of all confirmed cases in Week 28.
According to the report, people between the ages of 21 and 30 remained the most affected, indicating that the disease continued to have a disproportionate impact on young adults.
The agency also reported that while no healthcare worker was infected during Week 27, one healthcare worker contracted the disease in Week 28.
The NCDC urged state governments, health workers and residents to sustain surveillance, ensure early detection of suspected cases, commence prompt treatment and strictly adhere to infection prevention and control measures.
It also called for intensified public awareness campaigns to curb transmission and reduce fatalities as the country battles the persistent outbreak.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness primarily transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected multimammate 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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