Lassa fever death toll hits 229 as fresh infections rise

Nigeria is grappling with a severe Lassa fever outbreak, which has claimed 229 lives so far this year. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported a concerning spike, confirming 25 new cases in a single week across five states: Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Kogi, and Cross River. This brings the total confirmed cases to 963 out of 6,554 suspected infections between epidemiological weeks 1 and 28. The case fatality rate (CFR) stands at a high 23.8%, a significant increase from the 18.7% recorded during the same period in 2025.

The outbreak poses a continued occupational risk to healthcare workers, with one infection reported during the latest week. In total, 23 states and 114 local government areas have reported confirmed cases. Ondo state accounts for the highest percentage of infections at 31%, followed by Bauchi (25%), Taraba (14%), Edo (10%), and Benue (6%). Young adults, aged 21 to 30, are the most affected demographic, though cases range from one to 93 years old.

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The NCDC attributed the persistently high death rate to late presentation of patients at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour driven partly by the high cost of treatment, poor environmental sanitation in high-burden communities and inadequate public awareness of the disease.

The NCDC attributes the persistently high death rate to several factors. These include patients presenting late at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviors often driven by the high cost of treatment, inadequate environmental sanitation in high-burden areas, and a general lack of public awareness about the disease. The agency urges healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever, ensuring early diagnosis and prompt referral of suspected cases. Despite interventions like training healthcare workers and distributing protective equipment, the outbreak continues to strain public health resources.

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The agency warned healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever and ensure early diagnosis and prompt referral of suspected cases.