Nigeria: Nigeria Records 268 Lassa Fever Deaths As Fatality Rate Rises to 23.6 Percent - NCDC
[Premium Times] The figures highlight the continued burden of the disease despite a sharp decline in newly confirmed infections in the latest reporting week
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Nigeria recorded 268 deaths from Lassa fever in 2026, with a case fatality rate of 23.6 percent, up from 18.6 percent in 2025. The deaths were among 1,138 confirmed cases reported between September 28 and October 4, 2026. While newly confirmed infections have declined, the fatality rate has risen.
The NCDC attributes this to late case presentation, high treatment costs, and poor health-seeking behavior. Five states—Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, and Benue—accounted for 88 percent of all cases. The most affected age group is 21 to 30 years, though cases range from one to 93 years old. No new healthcare worker infections were recorded this week, but 54 healthcare workers have been affected since 2026 began.
To combat the outbreak, the NCDC developed a 30-day healthcare worker protection plan, provided personal protective equipment, trained healthcare workers, and activated incident management systems in several states. Community engagement activities were also conducted with religious leaders and market women. Despite these efforts, challenges such as late presentation, poor sanitation, lack of awareness, and high treatment costs persist.
The NCDC urges states to continue community education on Lassa fever prevention and for healthcare workers to remain vigilant and follow infection prevention protocols.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.