Nigeria recorded 263 deaths and 1,115 confirmed cases of Lassa fever between January and September 20, 2026, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Gatekeepers News reports that the agency disclosed this in its situation report for epidemiological week 38, covering September 14 to 20, which showed that the case fatality rate (CFR) increased to 23.6 per cent, compared with 18.5 per cent during the corresponding period in 2025.
During the same period last year, Nigeria recorded 906 confirmed cases and 168 deaths.
“Cumulatively, 263 deaths have been reported with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 23.6%, which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2025 (18.5%),” the report stated.
The NCDC recorded 8,218 suspected cases during the first 38 weeks of 2026, compared with 7,792 in the corresponding period of 2025.
Confirmed infections were reported across 119 local government areas in 24 states, with Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue accounting for approximately 87 per cent of the total cases.
Ondo recorded the highest number of infections, with 393 confirmed cases, followed by Bauchi with 260, Taraba with 133, Edo with 122 and Benue with 61.
During the reporting week, 11 new confirmed cases and four deaths were recorded, while suspected cases stood at 120. The number of confirmed infections declined from 17 in epidemiological week 37.
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 during week 38, the cumulative number of healthcare workers affected by the disease stood at 54.
Late presentation contributes to fatalities
The NCDC identified late presentation of patients at healthcare facilities as one of the factors contributing to the rising case fatality rate.
Other challenges affecting the response include the high cost of treatment and clinical management, poor environmental sanitation, low awareness in highly 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 of suspected cases, and strictly observe infection prevention and control procedures.
According to the report, response activities included support for active case searches and contact tracing, training for frontline healthcare workers, distribution of protective equipment and continued laboratory testing.
The national Lassa fever technical working group also continued to support coordination of response activities at all levels.
