318 Cases of Lassa Fever Confirmed, 70 Deaths Recorded in Seven Weeks

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) yesterday confirmed that the country recorded 70 deaths from Lassa fever in the first seven weeks of 2026, with 318 confirmed cases out of the 1,469 suspected infections reported nationwide.

The figures for its Epidemiological Weeks 1–7 (December 29, 2025 – February 15, 2026) showed a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 22 per cent, while 15 healthcare workers have also been infected.

At a press briefing, the NCDC’s Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said the outbreak remained geographically concentrated, with five states accounting for 91 per cent of confirmed cases and 10 local government areas (LGAs) accounting for 68 per cent of infections.

“Lassa fever remains endemic in Nigeria and typically peaks during the dry season between November and May. The current trend aligns with established seasonal patterns. While the numbers are concerning, there is no cause for panic. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment significantly improve survival.”

Idris disclosed that the Incident Management System had been activated to coordinate the national response, with weekly meetings of the National Lassa Fever Emergency Operations Centre ongoing.

National Rapid Response Teams have been deployed to eight affected states, including Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, Benue, and Jigawa, with further deployments planned as required.

He said laboratory testing commodities had been distributed across the national laboratory network, while treatment medicines, personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitisers, and other infection prevention materials were supplied nationwide.

“Protecting healthcare workers remains a top priority. We are actively investigating the drivers of healthcare worker infections to understand contributing factors better,” Idris said.

He added, “Formal communications have been issued to Commissioners of Health, outlining key actions required to strengthen infection prevention and control in health facilities.”

The agency also addressed misinformation, citing a recent rumour of Lassa fever at the NYSC camp in Kwara State.

“Our risk communication and infodemic management team worked closely with state authorities to investigate and address the concern. The state led timely communication, and at the national level, we amplified accurate information to maintain public confidence,” he explained.

Idris stressed that the response is being implemented through a One Health approach in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Federal Ministry of Food Security, the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, and the National Veterinary Research Institute.

“We do not undertake this work alone. Strong partnerships across sectors are essential to containing outbreaks that have human, animal, and environmental dimensions,” he said.

Despite intensified efforts, the NCDC listed major challenges hampering containment, including weak state-level ownership, gaps in contact tracing, rising infections among healthcare workers, stigma, and delayed care-seeking.

Other concerns include limited funding for awareness campaigns in some states, difficulty accessing hard-to-reach and security-compromised areas, infrastructure gaps in treatment centres, under-utilisation of dialysis machines due to high service fees, and inconsistent availability of PPE.

“State ownership remains a key challenge, particularly in relation to contact tracing. When contacts are not identified early, cases are detected late, and that contributes to higher fatality rates,” Idris warned.

He added that a persistent low index of suspicion among healthcare workers and redeployment of infection prevention focal persons are weakening sustained infection control capacity in endemic regions.

The NCDC urged state governments to intensify active case search and contact tracing, scale up community risk communication, address treatment cost barriers, enforce infection prevention and control measures, and strengthen coordination of response teams.

The agency advised Nigerians to store food in rodent-proof containers, keep homes and surroundings clean, block entry points to prevent rodents from entering homes, and avoid drying food on the roadside or bare ground.

Citizens were also urged to seek medical care immediately for a persistent fever that does not respond to malaria treatment within 48 hours and to avoid self-medication.

“Lassa fever is preventable and treatable when detected early. The national response remains fully activated, and we continue to monitor trends closely,” Idris said.