LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Ondo and Bauchi states have emerged as the worst-hit areas in Nigeria’s worsening Lassa fever outbreak after new infections pushed the country’s death toll to 191 in 2026, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The latest report released by the NCDC showed that confirmed cases increased from nine in Week 17 to 22 in Week 18 Lassa fever update.
Accounting for the new infections, Ondo, Edo and Plateau states recorded the latest confirmed cases.
Health officials disclosed that the country has now recorded 191 deaths linked to the disease in 2026.
The fatality rate currently stands at 24.6 per cent, higher than the 19.2 percent reported during the same period last year.
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According to the report, 23 states and 106 Local Government Areas have reported at least one confirmed case since the beginning of the year.
The NCDC identified Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Benue as the states carrying the heaviest burden of infections, contributing 84 percent of all confirmed cases nationwide.
Bauchi and Ondo each accounted for 26 percent of infections, followed by Taraba with 16 percent. Edo recorded nine percent, while Benue contributed seven percent.
Additionally, the agency explained that adults between the ages of 21 and 30 remain the most affected category, although cases have been recorded among patients aged between one and 90 years.
The report also confirmed that one healthcare worker contracted the infection during Week 18, raising concerns over the safety of frontline medical personnel among health workers.
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The NCDC blamed delayed treatment and poor health-seeking behaviour for the rising number of deaths across affected communities.
“We are seeing late presentation of cases in many communities, and this continues to drive preventable deaths. The high fatality rate is a clear signal that people are arriving at treatment centres too late,” the agency stated.
Although suspected cases have dropped, confirmed infections continue to rise in several states. Health officials warned that the current fatality rate remains dangerously high.
“Lassa fever is treatable when detected early, but we are still losing too many lives because patients come in late,” the NCDC added.
To contain the outbreak, the agency announced it has activated a nationwide multi-partner Incident Management System to strengthen response efforts across the country.
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The intervention includes infection prevention training for healthcare workers in Ondo and Ebonyi states, deployment of rapid response teams to high-risk communities, and distribution of personal protective equipment to treatment centres.
Notably, the NCDC stated it has expanded public awareness campaigns and improved disease surveillance with support from the WHO, UNICEF, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Médecins Sans Frontières, ALIMA and RTI International.
The agency urged residents to improve environmental sanitation and intensify rodent control measures to limit the spread of the disease in homes and communities.
“All stakeholders must sustain community engagement and strengthen infection prevention practices in both health facilities and households,” the report advised.
Public health experts continue to stress the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment to reduce deaths linked to the ongoing outbreak.
