Lassa fever claims 221 lives as NCDC records fresh surge in infections

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By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has raised fresh concern over the persistent spread of Lassa fever, revealing that the disease has claimed 221 lives this year, with new infections rising steadily over a three-week period.

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The latest epidemiological situation reports released by the agency for Weeks 24, 25 and 26 showed that confirmed cases increased from 13 in Week 24 to 22 in Week 25 and further climbed to 31 in Week 26, signalling renewed transmission across affected states.

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According to the reports, Nigeria recorded a cumulative total of 922 confirmed cases and 221 deaths by the end of Week 26 (June 22–28, 2026), representing a case fatality rate (CFR) of 24.0 per cent, significantly higher than the 18.7 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.

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The reports indicated that the latest 31 confirmed cases were recorded in Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Bauchi states, with Ondo and Bauchi remaining among the country’s major hotspots.

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Earlier reports showed that Week 25 recorded 22 new confirmed cases in Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Bauchi states, while Week 24 recorded 13 new infections from Ondo, Edo, Taraba, Benue and Bauchi.

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Despite intensified surveillance and response efforts, the disease has now spread across 23 states and 111 local government areas, underscoring its continued public health threat.

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The NCDC disclosed that 85 per cent of all confirmed cases this year originated from just five states – Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo – highlighting the concentration of infections in known endemic areas.

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The agency also revealed that young adults aged between 21 and 30 years remain the most affected age group, a trend that has remained consistent throughout the outbreak.

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The reports further showed that healthcare workers continue to face occupational risks from the disease. One healthcare worker was infected in Week 24 and none in Week 25, while another health worker contracted the disease in Week 26.

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The cumulative figures reflect a steady rise in infections over the three weeks. By Week 24, the country had recorded 868 confirmed cases and 216 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 24.9 per cent, compared with 18.9 per cent during the same period in 2025.

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By Week 25, confirmed cases had increased to 891, while deaths rose to 219, although the fatality rate dropped slightly to 24.6 per cent, remaining considerably higher than the 18.6 per cent recorded during the corresponding period last year.

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Health experts have repeatedly warned that the persistently high fatality rate points to delays in case detection, late presentation of patients for treatment and continued exposure to infected rodents, which are the primary carriers of the Lassa virus.

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The NCDC has continued to urge Nigerians to maintain good environmental hygiene, store food properly to prevent contamination by rodents, avoid contact with rat urine and faeces, and promptly seek medical attention if symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache or unexplained bleeding develop.

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The agency also called on healthcare workers to maintain strict infection prevention and control measures while handling suspected cases to reduce the risk of hospital-based transmission.

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Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease endemic in Nigeria and several West African countries. It is primarily transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or droppings of infected multimammate rats, although person-to-person transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings.

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