Lassa fever death toll hits 229 as fresh infections rise

By Chioma Obinna

Nigeria’s Lassa fever outbreak has claimed 229 lives this year, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, confirming a fresh spike in infections as 25 new cases were recorded in one week across five states.
The latest Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epidemiological Week 28 showed that confirmed cases rose from 14 in Week 27 to 25 in Week 28, with new infections reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Kogi and Cross River states.
The report also revealed that the country has recorded 963 confirmed cases out of 6,554 suspected infections between Weeks 1 and 28, while the case fatality rate, CFR, stood at 23.8 per cent, significantly higher than the 18.7 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025.
Unfortunately,  one healthcare worker was infected during the reporting week, underscoring the continued occupational risks facing frontline health personnel battling the outbreak.
According to the NCDC, 23 states and 114 Local Government Areas have reported at least one confirmed case this year, with Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue accounting for 86 per cent of all confirmed infections nationwide.
The agency said Ondo alone contributed 31 per cent of confirmed cases, followed by Bauchi with 25 per cent, Taraba 14 per cent, Edo 10 per cent, and Benue with six per cent.
The report showed that young adults remain the most affected population, with people aged 21 to 30 years accounting for the highest number of confirmed infections. Patients ranged from one to 93 years, with a median age of 30 years.
The NCDC attributed the persistently high death rate to late presentation of patients at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour driven partly by the high cost of treatment, poor environmental sanitation in high-burden communities and inadequate public awareness of the disease.
The agency warned healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever and ensure early diagnosis and prompt referral of suspected cases.
“Healthcare workers should maintain high suspicion for Lassa fever and initiate timely referral and treatment while adhering strictly to infection prevention and control procedures,” the NCDC advised.
It also urged states to intensify year-round community engagement on preventive measures, particularly in endemic communities.
To contain the outbreak, the NCDC said the national multi-partner Incident Management System remains active, coordinating surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control, laboratory diagnosis, risk communication and community engagement.
Among recent interventions, the agency said it trained frontline healthcare workers with support from the World Health Organization, Africa CDC, Médecins Sans Frontières, FHI 360 and other partners; deployed National Rapid Response Teams to seven high-burden states; strengthened infection prevention programmes in endemic states; distributed personal protective equipment to health facilities; and conducted community sensitisation campaigns targeting farmers, market women, religious and traditional leaders.
The agency also disclosed that a 30-day Healthcare Worker Protection Plan had been developed to reduce infections among frontline personnel, while updated infection prevention guidelines had been circulated nationwide.
The NCDC reiterated that early presentation at health facilities remains critical to survival, urging Nigerians to seek immediate medical attention for persistent fever or symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever, especially in endemic areas.
It called on state governments and partners to strengthen surveillance, improve public awareness and sustain coordinated response efforts to curb further spread of the disease.

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