Nigeria has reported a sustained rise in Lassa fever infections and related deaths in the opening weeks of 2026, according to the latest situation report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). The data suggests the viral haemorrhagic disease is gaining momentum across multiple states, underscoring persistent public health concerns as the dry season progresses.
In epidemiological Week 1 of the year, health authorities recorded 104 suspected cases of Lassa fever nationwide. Of those, 21 were confirmed through laboratory testing and nine deaths were attributed to the infection. By Week 2, suspected cases climbed to 144, with 33 confirmed infections indicating a clear upward trend. This escalation continued into Week 3, when 157 suspected cases and 39 confirmed cases were reported, along with six additional deaths.
Taken together, the first three weeks of the year yielded 17 documented fatalities from Lassa fever, placing the case fatality rate (CFR) at roughly 18.1 percent. Although high, this rate is marginally lower than the 18.2 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.
The disease has been confirmed in nine states, spanning 28 local government areas, with confirmed infections reported in Bauchi, Taraba, Plateau, Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi, Benue, and Nasarawa states. However, the burden of confirmed cases remains heavily concentrated in a small number of areas: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, and Edo together accounted for nearly 89 percent of all confirmed cases during the period under review. Bauchi State alone accounted for nearly half of all confirmed infections, with Ondo trailing behind at about one-fifth of the total.
Young adults appear to be disproportionately affected, with the most common age group among confirmed cases falling between 21 and 30 years old. Overall, confirmed patients range from very young children to older adults, highlighting that the disease’s reach crosses age groups.
The NCDC has emphasised that this early rise in infections highlights the ongoing need for vigilance, especially during the peak Lassa fever season, which typically runs through the dry months. Preventive recommendations include heightened hygiene and sanitation measures, improved rodent control, prompt health-seeking behaviour by suspected cases, and strict infection prevention and control practices within healthcare settings.
