The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has recorded 469 confirmed cases of Lassa Fever and 109 deaths in 2026, representing a case fatality ratio of 23.2 per cent, which is higher than the 18.7 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025.

In its Week 9 Epidemiological Report covering February 23 to March 1, NCDC noted that 65 new confirmed cases were recorded, a decline from the 77 cases reported in Week 8.

According to the centre, the new infections were reported in Benue, Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, Plateau and Nasarawa States.

It stated that six healthcare workers were infected during the reporting week, bringing the cumulative total to 37 this year.

The NCDC noted that between Week 1 and Week 9 of 2026, Nigeria recorded 2,446 suspected cases of Lassa fever, of which 469 were confirmed, and four were classified as probable.

NCDC observed that 86 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from five states of Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo, while 14 per cent were reported from 13 states with confirmed Lassa fever cases.

The report showed that 18 states across 69 local government areas had reported at least one confirmed case of the disease so far this year.

It revealed that the predominant age group affected by the disease was 21-30 years. The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases was 1:0.8.

The NCDC said the national Lassa fever Incident Management System had been activated to coordinate response efforts involving multiple partners and sectors, adding that intensified case searches, contact tracing, and the deployment of national rapid response teams to seven high-burden states had been initiated.

The agency noted that personal protective equipment and other response materials have been distributed to treatment centres, while a targeted infection prevention and control ring strategy was launched in Benue State with support from the World Health Organisation, as well as field missions and clinical support activities involving partners such as Médecins Sans Frontières and the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

NCDC highlighted some challenges facing the Lassa fever response, including late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour due to the high cost of treatment, inadequate environmental sanitation in affected communities and increasing infections among healthcare workers.

The agency urged state governments to strengthen year-round community engagement in Lassa fever prevention and advised healthcare workers to maintain a high level of suspicion for the disease, ensure early referral, and strictly adhere to infection prevention and control procedures. (The Guardian)

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