Nigeria has recorded a fresh rise in Lassa fever infections, with 66 confirmed cases and seven deaths reported over three weeks, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Data from Epidemiological Weeks 24 to 26 show a steady increase in infections. Week 24 recorded 13 confirmed cases and two deaths, rising to 22 cases and three deaths in Week 25, and 31 cases with two deaths in Week 26. In total, 504 suspected cases were reported during the period.
The outbreak has spread across 23 states and 111 Local Government Areas, with Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, and Benue accounting for 85 percent of confirmed cases this year.
So far in 2026, Nigeria has recorded 5,801 suspected cases, 868 confirmed infections, and 216 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 24.9 percent, higher than the 18.9 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.
The NCDC attributed the high death rate to late hospital visits, poor health-seeking behavior, high treatment costs, low awareness, poor sanitation, and infections among healthcare workers. One health worker was infected during the reporting period.
In response, the agency has intensified surveillance, deployed rapid response teams, improved laboratory testing and contact tracing, and increased public awareness campaigns.
The NCDC urged Nigerians to maintain proper hygiene, avoid contact with rodents, seek early medical care for symptoms such as persistent fever, and avoid self-medication.
Health officials say early detection and treatment remain key to reducing fatalities from the disease.
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