Lassa Fever: Nigeria Records 663 Cases, 167 Deaths In 3 Months

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC)’s report has revealed that the country recorded 663 confirmed cases and 167 deaths from Lassa fever between January and March 2026.

The situation report for week 13 (March 23–29) released yesterday, showed that the disease continues to pose a major public health challenge despite a decline in new infections.

NCDC confirmed 26 new cases in Week 13, a drop from the 51 reported in the previous week.

Seven states: Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Benue and Kaduna accounted for the new infections.

NCDC noted that the current case fatality rate stands at 25.2 per cent, a sharp increase compared to 18.5 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025.

“Cumulatively, 167 deaths have been reported with a CFR of 25.2 per cent,  which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2025 (18.5 per cent),” the report stated.

The report further indicated that 22 states have reported at least one confirmed case across 93 local government areas, with Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo states contributing 85 per cent of all confirmed cases so far in 2026.

“In total for 2026, 22 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 93 local government areas,” the report stated.

Young adults aged 21 to 30 years remain the most affected demographic, while reassuringly, no new healthcare worker infection was recorded during the week.

NCDC urged Nigerians to intensify preventive measures, especially proper food storage, rodent control and early reporting of symptoms such as fever, headache and general weakness.