Lassa fever fatality rate rises in Nigeria as cases fall

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says Nigeria is recording an increase in Lassa fever fatality rate.

This is despite a decline in weekly confirmed cases, raising fresh concerns over disease management nationwide.

The agency disclosed on Wednesday in its Epidemiological Week 14 report for 2026 that confirmed cases dropped from 26 in the previous week to 22, while the case fatality rate rose significantly.

It said the Case Fatality Rate increased to 24.8 per cent, compared with 18.8 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025, indicating worsening outcomes despite fewer infections.

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It said cumulatively, Nigeria had recorded 170 deaths from Lassa fever in 2026, underscoring persistent challenges related to early detection, timely treatment, and health-seeking behaviour across affected communities nationwide.

The report showed that 22 states and 94 Local Government Areas had reported confirmed cases in 2026, with five states accounting for about 84 per cent of total infections recorded.

It said the states included Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue, which continued to bear the highest burden of the disease, reflecting the regional concentration of infections and transmission patterns.

The agency said Bauchi recorded the highest burden with 27 per cent of confirmed cases, followed by Ondo with 22 per cent, Taraba with 18 per cent, Edo with nine per cent, and Benue.

Other affected states included Plateau, Ebonyi, and Kogi, among others, highlighting the continued geographic spread of Lassa fever across multiple regions despite ongoing nationwide surveillance and response efforts.

The NCDC said that the predominant age group affected was between 21 and 30 years, with cases ranging from one to 90 years and a median age of 30 years.

It added that the male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases stood at 1:0.9, indicating relatively similar infection rates between genders, although slightly higher among males in the current reporting period.

The report also confirmed infections among healthcare workers during the reporting week, raising concerns about compliance with infection prevention and control measures in treatment centres and frontline health facilities managing cases.

According to the agency, while suspected cases have declined, confirmed cases remain higher compared to the same period in 2025, suggesting sustained community transmission and gaps in containment measures.

Response efforts

The NCDC, in collaboration with partners including the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the US CDC, had activated a national response framework.

It said a multi-sectoral Incident Management System had been deployed to coordinate response efforts, improve surveillance, and strengthen interventions to reduce transmission and fatalities across affected states.

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The agency said interventions included infection prevention training for health workers, distribution of personal protective equipment, active case search, contact tracing, and community sensitisation campaigns in high-burden areas nationwide.

The agency added that rapid response teams had been deployed to seven high-burden states. At the same time, treatment centres continued receiving essential medical supplies, including Ribavirin and protective equipment for case management.

Despite these efforts, the NCDC highlighted ongoing challenges, including late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour due to high treatment costs, inadequate sanitation, and low public awareness in affected communities.

It urged state governments to strengthen community engagement, while advising healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever and strictly adhere to infection prevention protocols.

The agency emphasised that sustained multi-sectoral collaboration remained critical to reducing transmission, improving treatment outcomes, and lowering the number of deaths associated with Lassa fever across the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents. (NAN)