Nigeria’s disease control agency is sounding the alarm over a troubling paradox in the country’s ongoing Lassa fever outbreak: even as the number of new weekly infections is declining, the death toll continues to rise. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 167 deaths as of its Week 13 epidemiological report covering March 23–29, 2026, pushing the case fatality rate (CFR) to 25.2%, a sharp increase from the 18.5% CFR recorded during the same period in 2025. Confirmed cases did fall significantly in the most recent reporting week, dropping from 51 to 26, with new infections recorded across seven states including Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Benue, and Kaduna.
A Rising CFR Despite Fewer New Cases
A declining case count can mask deeper problems, including late presentations, gaps in treatment access, and overwhelmed health infrastructure, all of which the NCDC has acknowledged as ongoing challenges. Young adults aged 21 to 30 remain the most affected demographic group, and 22 states have reported at least one confirmed case across 93 local government areas so far in 2026.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, transmitted to humans primarily through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or feces of infected Mastomys rats. The disease can also spread person to person through contact with bodily fluids. It typically begins with fever, weakness, and headache, and may progress to severe bleeding, respiratory distress, and organ failure. Early treatment with the antiviral drug ribavirin is critical to improving survival outcomes.
The NCDC has identified several barriers hampering effective response: late case presentation, poor health-seeking behavior driven by the high cost of treatment, low community awareness, and poor environmental sanitation in high-burden areas. Healthcare worker infections have also been a concern, though no new cases among medical staff were recorded in Week 13.
Response Scale-Up Underway With International Support
In response to the worsening CFR, the NCDC and partners have intensified interventions across the most affected states. A 30-day Healthcare Worker Protection Plan has been developed with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC). National Rapid Response Teams have been deployed to seven high-burden states, personal protective equipment has been prestaged and distributed, and Incident Management Systems have been activated in Kebbi, Kano, Gombe, Benue, and Plateau states.
High-level advocacy visits have been conducted in Benue State alongside WHO, UNICEF, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and a targeted Infection Prevention and Control ring strategy has been piloted there. Laboratory testing has been intensified across the national network to speed diagnosis, and public health campaigns, including community engagement programs and behavioral communication materials, have been expanded.
Sources and further reading:
Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria – CIDRAP
Lassa fever deaths hit 167 as cases drop to 26 – Premium Times Nigeria