Nigeria has recorded a fresh increase in confirmed Lassa fever infections, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reporting 31 new cases during epidemiological week 26 of 2026, compared with 22 cases recorded in the preceding week.
According to the agency’s latest Lassa fever situation report, the new infections were confirmed in Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba and Benue states, reflecting continued transmission in parts of the country.
The NCDC said the cumulative death toll from the disease has risen to 221 this year, with the case fatality rate increasing to 24 per cent, compared with 18.7 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025.
Data from the report show that confirmed cases have now been reported in 23 states across 111 local government areas, underscoring the continued spread of the viral disease.
Five states account for the overwhelming majority of infections nationwide. Ondo recorded the highest share of confirmed cases at 30 per cent, followed by Bauchi with 26 per cent, Taraba with 14 per cent, Edo with nine per cent, while Benue also remains among the states with the highest disease burden. Together, the five states account for about 85 per cent of all confirmed infections recorded so far this year.
The agency noted that young adults remain the most affected demographic, with individuals between the ages of 21 and 30 accounting for the largest proportion of confirmed cases. Patients’ ages ranged from one to 93 years, while infections were distributed almost equally between males and females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.9.
The NCDC also reported an increase in both suspected and confirmed cases compared with the corresponding period in 2025. One healthcare worker was infected during the latest reporting week.
To strengthen the national response, the agency said its multi-sectoral Incident Management System remains fully activated, coordinating surveillance, case management, laboratory services, risk communication and other response measures aimed at containing the outbreak.
