Lassa Fever Crosses 1,000 Cases As Nigeria’s Death Toll Nears 240
The fall in weekly infections may look encouraging, but the more telling figure is the death toll: Nigeria has now crossed 1,000 confirmed Lassa fever cases this year, with nearly one in four confirmed patients dying.
Nigeria has crossed a grim Lassa fever milestone, with 1,000 confirmed cases and 237 deaths recorded by epidemiological week 30, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The latest situation report shows that 17 new confirmed cases were recorded between 20 and 26 July, down from 20 cases in the previous week.
The infections came from Ondo, Bauchi, Edo and Benue states.
But the slower weekly spread has not translated into a lower fatality burden.
The case fatality rate (CFR) rose slightly to 23.7 per cent, compared with 18.8 per cent during the same period in 2025.
Lassa fever has now been detected in 23 states and 116 local government areas, with Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo accounting for 86 per cent of all confirmed cases.
An unusual feature of the outbreak is the age profile: people aged 21 to 30 years remain the most affected group, putting young adults at the centre of Nigeria’s Lassa fever burden.
The disease has also continued to pose a risk inside healthcare facilities. One healthcare worker was infected in week 30, after no new health worker infection was reported in the preceding week.
Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and is commonly transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents.
Early diagnosis and treatment are important because the illness can initially resemble other common causes of fever.
The figures suggest that while weekly case numbers are edging down, the bigger concern remains the high proportion of confirmed patients who are dying.
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