Lassa Fever: 268 deaths in Nigeria since January, with one in four confirmed patients not surviving

Nigeria has recorded 268 deaths due to Lassa fever between January and October 4, 2026, out of 1,138 confirmed cases, according to the latest report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) cited on October 13 by the Nigerian Tribune. The case fatality rate has reached 23.6% of confirmed cases, compared to 18.6% during the same period in 2025: the disease is causing fewer reported illnesses, but it is killing a larger proportion of those infected.

Five states account for nine out of ten cases

The epidemic now affects 119 local government areas spread across 24 of the country's 36 states, according to the NCDC. Ondo (36% of confirmed cases), Bauchi (23%), Taraba (12%), Edo (11%), and Benue (6%) alone account for 88% of infections, with the remaining 12% distributed among nineteen other states. The center has also recorded 8,414 suspected cases since the beginning of the year.

The individuals affected range from 1 to 93 years old, with a median age of 30, and the 21-30 age group is the most heavily impacted. The NCDC also notes that 54 healthcare workers have been infected since January, with no new infections among health personnel reported during the 40th epidemiological week.

A diagnosis that arrives too late

To explain this fatality rate, the NCDC highlights four factors: late diagnoses, the high cost of treatment, insufficient sanitation, and low awareness in high-incidence areas. Lassa fever is transmitted to humans by rodents: the agency recommends storing food in containers inaccessible to rats, avoiding any contact with these animals, and improving environmental sanitation, according to Daily Trust.

Seven states under rapid response teams

The announced response includes the deployment of rapid response teams to seven heavily affected states, the distribution of protective equipment to health facilities, a thirty-day healthcare worker protection plan conducted with the World Health Organization and the US CDC, as well as a national review of the 2026 epidemic. On the ground, 77 contacts remained under follow-up at the end of the period, 2,016 had completed their follow-up, and 3 had been lost to follow-up.

The curve is slowing down: only three new confirmed cases in the 40th week, in Bauchi and Benue, and one death, compared to thirteen cases the previous week. The NCDC nevertheless calls on states to maintain community awareness throughout the year, rather than in waves, as Lassa fever returns to the country every year.