Lassa fever: Young adults most affected as Nigeria records 1,035 cases, 252 deaths

Nigeria's Lassa fever outbreak continues to claim lives at an alarming rate, with the country recording 252 deaths from 1,035 confirmed cases as of epidemiological week 33. This translates to a case fatality rate (CFR) of 24.4 percent, up from 18.6 percent at the same time last year. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 14 new confirmed cases between August 10 and 16, 2026, compared to just four reported in the previous week.

These cases were concentrated in five states: Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Benue, which accounted for 87 percent of all confirmed cases nationwide. The NCDC warns that late presentation and poor health-seeking behavior are contributing factors to the rising fatality rate, urging early recognition, referral, and treatment. In response, the NCDC has strengthened surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention, and control measures across affected states, as well as developed a 30-day Healthcare Worker Protection Plan to reduce infections among frontline health workers.