Lassa Fever: 5 States Account For 86% Of Nigeria’s 1,000 Cases

HASSAN MIRANDA DANJUMA, Abuja

Five states have accounted for 86 per cent of Nigeria’s 1,000 confirmed Lassa fever cases recorded so far in 2026.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has recorded  infections across 23 states and 116 local government areas.

States like Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo remain the major hotspots for the disease, according to the Lassa Fever Situation Report released by NCDC.

The report, covering epidemiological week 30, from July 20 to 26, 2026, showed that the country recorded 17 new confirmed cases during the week, bringing the cumulative number of confirmed infections to 1,000.

The latest figures come with 237 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 23.7 per cent.

The concentration of cases in the five states highlights the uneven burden of Lassa fever across the country and raises questions about the capacity of affected states to sustain surveillance, early detection, treatment and infection-prevention measures.

Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo have continued to feature prominently in Nigeria’s Lassa fever response, accounting for the overwhelming majority of confirmed infections.

The latest data also showed that the disease is affecting a predominantly young adult population, with people aged 21 to 30 years identified as the most affected age group.

During Week 30, the 17 new confirmed cases were recorded in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo and Benue states.

The number of new cases represented a decline from the 20 confirmed cases recorded in the previous epidemiological week.

However, the fall in weekly cases has not translated into a reduction in the overall disease burden.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases increased from 983 in Week 29 to 1,000 in Week 30, while deaths rose from 231 to 237.

The case fatality rate also increased from 23.5 per cent to 23.7 per cent.

Lassa fever is endemic in parts of West Africa and remains a recurring public-health challenge in the country.

The disease is primarily transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected multimammate rats.

Human-to-human transmission can also occur through contact with the blood or body fluids of infected persons, making healthcare facilities a particularly important point for infection prevention.

The NCDC recorded one new healthcare worker infection during Week 30, after no new healthcare worker infection was reported in Week 29.

The development underscores the occupational risk faced by health workers caring for patients with undiagnosed or confirmed Lassa fever.