The Nigeria Centre for Illness Management and Prevention (NCDC), says Lassa fever fatalities have risen sharply in 2026, regardless of a decline in new confirmed instances within the newest reporting week.
The NCDC, in its Epidemiological Week 13 report, made out there to the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, disclosed that 167 deaths have been recorded up to now throughout the 12 months.
The Nigerian Public Well being Institute says the case fatality fee (CFR) is 25.2 per cent, considerably increased than the 18.5 per cent recorded throughout the identical interval in 2025.
Based on the report, 26 new confirmed instances have been recorded in week 13, a lower from 51 instances reported within the earlier week.
The instances have been reported throughout seven states: Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Benue, and Kaduna.
Nevertheless, the company famous that the general burden of the illness remained excessive, with a complete of 663 confirmed instances out of three,831 suspected instances reported throughout 22 states and 93 native authorities areas in 2026.
”The variety of suspected and confirmed instances has elevated in comparison with the identical interval in 2025,” the report said.
The NCDC recognized Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue as essentially the most affected states, accounting for 85 per cent of all confirmed instances.
It added that younger adults between the ages of 21 and 30 remained essentially the most affected group, with a median age of 30 years.
The report additionally highlighted persistent challenges driving the excessive fatality fee, together with late presentation of instances, poor health-seeking behaviour, and excessive price of therapy.
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Different elements the report mentioned embody poor environmental sanitation and low consciousness ranges in high-burden communities.
Regardless of these issues, no new infections amongst healthcare staff have been recorded through the reporting week.
In response to the outbreak, the NCDC mentioned it had activated a multi-partner incident administration system to coordinate nationwide response efforts.
It additionally mentioned that the company in collaboration with companions equivalent to WHO, UNICEF, and MSF, had intensified surveillance, contact tracing, and public consciousness campaigns.
It added that focused interventions, together with a healthcare employee safety plan and an infection prevention methods, have been being applied in high-burden states.
The company urged state governments to strengthen year-round neighborhood engagement and referred to as on healthcare staff to keep up a excessive index of suspicion for Lassa fever to make sure early detection and therapy.
Public well being consultants are of the opinion that rising fatality charges regardless of improved response efforts underscore the pressing want to handle systemic gaps in early analysis and entry to care.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic sickness brought on by the Lassa virus and is primarily transmitted by contact with meals or home goods contaminated by rodents.
Nigeria data instances of the illness yearly, significantly through the dry season when human publicity to contaminated rodents will increase.
Well being authorities say early detection, immediate therapy and strict an infection management measures stay essential to decreasing mortality and stopping outbreaks. (NAN)
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