Lassa fever kills 99 Nigerians in first eight weeks of 2026

Lassa fever has killed 99 Nigerians in the first eight weeks of 2026, with nearly 2,000 suspected cases reported across 18 states, according to the NCDC

No fewer than 99 Nigerians have died from Lassa Fever in the first eight weeks of 2026, according to official data released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

Also read: NCDC confirms deadly lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria

The figures show that fatalities recorded so far this year have already surpassed the number of deaths reported during the same period in 2025.

Data from the NCDC indicates that 1,989 suspected cases have been reported across 67 Local Government Areas in 18 states of the federation.

The agency said 84 per cent of confirmed infections were recorded in five states—Bauchi State, Ondo State, Taraba State, Edo State, and Benue State.

The NCDC also disclosed that 10 additional health workers were infected during the period, bringing the total number of affected medical personnel to 28, higher than the number recorded within the same timeframe in 2025.

Lassa fever is an acute viral illness transmitted primarily through exposure to food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected rodents, particularly the Mastomys rat species common in West Africa.

According to the World Health Organization, the disease is caused by the Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family, and remains endemic in several West African countries.

These include Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

The NCDC noted that the disease has seen recurring outbreaks since the major national outbreak in 2016.

To address the latest surge, the agency said it has activated several response measures, including a national press briefing, dissemination of updated infection prevention and control guidelines, and the activation of the incident management system in Kebbi State, Kano State, and Gombe State.

It also conducted a high-level field mission to Bauchi State and held a data quality meeting with states reporting the highest number of cases.

Also read: NCDC warns as Lassa fever deaths rise sharply in Nigeria

However, the agency identified several challenges affecting the response to the outbreak, including late presentation of cases at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour due to the high cost of treatment, and poor environmental sanitation in high-burden communities.

Quadri Olaitan