By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 469 confirmed Lassa Fever cases and 109 deaths as of March 1, 2026, with a case fatality ratio of 23.2%. This marks an increase from the 18.7% recorded during the same period in 2025.
According to the NCDC’s Week 9 report, 65 new cases were recorded in seven states, bringing the total number of affected states to 18. The states most affected are Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, and Edo, accounting for 86% of confirmed cases.
The NCDC states that six healthcare workers were infected during the reporting week, bringing the total to 37.
The agency has activated its Incident Management System and is working with partners to respond to the outbreak. Challenges include late case presentation, poor health-seeking behavior, and inadequate environmental sanitation.
NCDC urges state governments to engage communities in prevention efforts and advises healthcare workers to maintain a high level of suspicion for the disease. The agency is working with partners like WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the US CDC to deploy response teams and distribute medical supplies.
