Lassa fever death toll reaches 214, fatality rate climbs to 25%

…NCDC flags growing concern over infections, delayed treatment
By Chioma Obinna

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced on Monday that the country’s Lassa fever outbreak has claimed 214 lives in 2026, bringing the fatality rate to 25 percent.

The report for Epidemiological Week 23, covering June 1 to 7, recorded 13 new confirmed cases and four additional deaths across Edo, Ondo, Bauchi and Ebonyi states. The weekly infection figure remained unchanged from the previous week, but the death toll increased.

According to the NCDC, Nigeria has documented 855 confirmed cases out of 5,652 suspected infections across 23 states and 109 local government areas, indicating a steady rise in the outbreak’s spread.

The agency noted that the current 25 percent fatality rate is markedly higher than the 18.9 percent recorded during the same period in 2025, when 143 deaths were reported from 758 confirmed cases.

The report states that five states—Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue—account for 84 percent of all confirmed cases this year. Ondo leads with 28 percent, followed by Bauchi at 25 percent and Taraba at 15 percent.

The NCDC observed that the disease continues to affect mainly young adults aged 21 to 30, although cases have been recorded in patients ranging from one to 93 years old.

It attributes the rising fatality rate to late presentation of cases, poor health‑seeking behaviour and the high cost of treatment, warning that these factors remain major obstacles to reducing deaths.

“The number of suspected and confirmed cases has increased compared to the same period in 2025, while late presentation continues to contribute to the higher fatality rate,” the agency said.

The report also highlighted poor environmental sanitation and low awareness in some high‑burden communities as factors fueling transmission.

Despite these challenges, the NCDC noted that no healthcare worker was infected during the reporting week, and national and state‑level response measures remain active. These include case management, surveillance, community engagement and training of frontline health workers.

The agency urged Nigerians to maintain proper hygiene, avoid contact with rodents and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as fever, weakness, sore throat or unexplained bleeding appear.