Nigeria's death toll from Lassa fever has climbed to 214 this year, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week.
The fatality rate now stands at 25 percent. That's a sharp jump from the 18.9 percent recorded during the same period last year.
Health officials confirmed 855 cases out of 5,652 suspected infections so far in 2026. In week 23 alone, authorities logged 13 confirmed cases across four states.
Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, and Ebonyi states reported the newest confirmed cases. The outbreak continues to spread geographically across the country.
At least 23 states have now documented confirmed cases across 109 local government areas. Both suspected and confirmed case numbers are outpacing last year's figures at this point.
Five states are driving the epidemic. These five account for 84 percent of all confirmed infections nationwide.
Ondo State leads with 28 percent of cases. Bauchi follows closely with 25 percent.
Taraba, Edo, and Benue states contribute 15, 10, and 6 percent respectively. Eighteen other states share the remaining 16 percent of confirmed cases.
Young adults aged 21 to 30 make up the majority of those infected. Cases have ranged from one-year-olds to a 93-year-old patient.
The median age among confirmed cases sits at 30 years. Healthcare workers remain largely unaffected so far this month.
No new infections among medical staff were recorded during week 23. Health officials say this reflects improved infection control measures in hospitals.
The NCDC has activated its multi-partner Incident Management System to coordinate efforts. This structure operates at both national and regional command levels.
Lassa fever spreads mainly through contact with contaminated food or household items. Infected rodents are the primary source of contamination in communities.
Human-to-human transmission also occurs, particularly within healthcare environments. The viral haemorrhagic disease remains endemic across Nigeria's regions.
