By Ayomide Otitoju
Nigeria recorded 263 deaths from Lassa fever and 1,115 confirmed cases between January and September 20, 2026, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The agency disclosed this in its situation report for September 14–20, which showed that the case fatality rate (CFR) rose to 23.6 per cent, compared with 18.5 per cent during the corresponding period in 2025.
Within the same period last year, Nigeria recorded 906 confirmed cases and 168 deaths.
The NCDC said 8,218 suspected cases were reported during the first 38 weeks of 2026, up from 7,792 in the corresponding period of 2025. Confirmed infections were recorded in 119 local government areas across 24 states.
Five states — Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue — accounted for about 87 per cent of confirmed cases.
Ondo recorded the highest number, with 393 cases, followed by Bauchi with 260, Taraba with 133, Edo with 122 and Benue with 61.
During the week under review, 11 new confirmed cases and four deaths were reported, while suspected cases stood at 120. The weekly confirmed case count declined from 17 in the preceding week.
The report identified people aged 21 to 30 as the most affected age group, with confirmed cases recorded among individuals aged between one and 93 years.
Although no new healthcare worker infection was reported in week 38, the cumulative number of affected healthcare workers stood at 54.
The NCDC identified late presentation at health facilities as one of the factors contributing to the high case fatality rate.
Other challenges included the high cost of treatment and clinical management, poor environmental sanitation, low awareness in heavily affected communities and infections among healthcare workers.
The agency urged state governments to sustain community engagement on Lassa fever prevention throughout the year.
It also called on healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, ensure timely referral and treatment, and comply with infection prevention and control procedures.
The NCDC said its response activities included supporting active case searches and contact tracing, training frontline healthcare workers, distributing protective equipment and conducting laboratory tests.
The report added that the national Lassa fever technical working group continued to coordinate response efforts at all levels.
