75 Dead from Lassa Fever as Nigeria’s Fatality Rate Hits 23% – NCDC Warns

Gloria Adesanya 16:34 - 03 March 2026

75 Dead from Lassa Fever

Nigeria records 75 Lassa fever deaths in early 2026, with Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, and Edo states most affected. NCDC urges early treatment and stronger preventive measures.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 75 deaths from Lassa fever in the first six weeks of 2026, as the outbreak’s fatality rate climbed to 23 per cent.

In its latest Epidemiological Week 7 report covering February 9 to 15, the agency recorded 82 new confirmed cases, up from 74 the previous week.

So far this year, Nigeria has reported 326 confirmed cases and four probable cases from 1,538 suspected infections.

The NCDC noted that the 23 per cent fatality rate recorded this year is considerably higher than the 19.7 per cent reported during the same period in 2025, sparking renewed concerns about the severity of the outbreak.

During the reporting week, confirmed cases were recorded in 14 states, including Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kano, Ebonyi, the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Kebbi, Kaduna, and Benue. Overall, 16 states across 58 local government areas have reported at least one confirmed case this year.

Nearly 84 per cent of all confirmed infections were concentrated in four states — Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, and Edo — with Bauchi leading in the number of cases.

Young adults aged 21 to 30 remain the most affected, although patients’ ages range from one to 90 years. The male-to-female ratio currently stands at 1:0.8.

The agency also revealed that five healthcare workers contracted the virus during the reporting week, raising fresh concerns about infection prevention and control practices in medical facilities.

Although the overall number of suspected and confirmed cases is lower than figures recorded during the same period last year, the NCDC warned that late hospital visits and poor health-seeking behaviour are contributing to the rising fatality rate.

To strengthen response efforts, the national Incident Management System has been activated, and states have been advised to step up community awareness campaigns and preventive measures to limit further spread of the disease.