Nigeria has recorded 1,104 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and 259 deaths throughout 24 states and 119 Local Government Areas (LGAs) between epidemiological week one and week 37 of 2026, based on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The figures, contained in the NCDC Lassa Fever Situation Report for epidemiological week 37, protecting September 7 to 13, 2026, confirmed a case fatality charge (CFR) of 23.5 per cent, increased than the 18.5 per cent recorded throughout the identical interval in 2025.
The report stated 8,098 suspected cases had been recorded to date in 2026, alongside six possible cases and 259 deaths amongst confirmed cases.
It added that 17 new confirmed cases had been reported throughout week 37, up from 12 cases recorded in the previous epidemiological week, with the brand new cases reported in Ondo and Taraba states.
According to the company, 88 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases in 2026 had been reported from 5 states — Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue.
Ondo accounted for 35 per cent of the confirmed cases, adopted by Bauchi with 24 per cent, Taraba 12 per cent, Edo 11 per cent and Benue six per cent, whereas the remaining 12 per cent had been reported from 18 different states.
The NCDC stated the age group most affected was 21 to 30 years, with confirmed cases starting from one to 93 years and a median age of 30 years.
It reported a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.9 amongst confirmed cases, whereas no new healthcare employee an infection was recorded throughout the reporting week.
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The company stated 54 healthcare employees had been affected cumulatively in 2026, whereas 845 cases had been managed at therapy centres.
On contact tracing, the NCDC stated 2,037 contacts had been listed cumulatively, with 132 nonetheless beneath follow-up and 1,902 having accomplished follow-up. It added that 110 contacts had developed signs, with 49 testing optimistic.
The company stated its response to the outbreak had included strengthening surveillance, case administration, an infection prevention and management, laboratory analysis, threat communication and neighborhood engagement throughout affected states.
It stated it had deployed National Rapid Response Teams to seven high-burden states, prepositioned private protecting tools and equipped an infection prevention and management commodities and medicines to therapy amenities.
The NCDC additionally stated it had developed a 30-day Healthcare Worker Protection Plan aimed toward decreasing infections amongst frontline well being employees in endemic states, with help from the World Health Organisation and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other measures included coaching frontline healthcare employees, supporting energetic case searches and make contact with tracing, strengthening state an infection prevention and management programmes, conducting threat assessments and disseminating up to date pointers and commonplace working procedures.
The company stated it had additionally activated incident administration programs in Benue, Plateau, Kebbi, Kano and Gombe states, whereas supporting built-in case administration coaching in Taraba State.
However, the NCDC recognized late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour linked to the excessive value of therapy and scientific administration, poor environmental sanitation, low consciousness in high-burden communities and healthcare employee infections as main challenges.
It urged states to accentuate year-round neighborhood engagement on Lassa fever prevention, whereas advising healthcare employees to take care of a excessive index of suspicion, guarantee well timed referral and therapy, and cling strictly to plain an infection prevention and management procedures.
The NCDC additionally referred to as for stronger state capability to forestall, detect and reply promptly to Lassa fever outbreaks.
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