Lassa fever death toll rises to 252

Nigeria’s Lassa fever outbreak has claimed 252 lives, with the number of confirmed infections rising to 1,035, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

The latest situation report released by the agency in Abuja on Tuesday showed that 14 additional cases were confirmed during epidemiological week 33, covering August 10 to August 16.

The new infections were reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo and Benue states.

The latest figures pushed the case fatality rate to 24.4 per cent, significantly higher than the 18.6 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.

The NCDC said the country had recorded 1,021 cumulative cases and 240 deaths by the end of week 32, putting the fatality rate at 23.5 per cent at the time.

It noted that the 14 cases recorded in week 33 represented an increase from the four infections confirmed in week 32, although the figure was lower than the 17 cases reported in week 31.

The weekly variations, according to the agency, reflect fluctuations in Lassa fever transmission across the affected areas.

By week 33, 23 states had reported at least one confirmed case, with infections spread across 117 local government areas.

Five states — Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo — continued to account for the bulk of the infections, contributing 87 per cent of cumulative confirmed cases as of week 33.

The same states accounted for 86 per cent of confirmed infections recorded in week 32.

The NCDC also identified people aged between 21 and 30 as the age group most affected by the disease across the two reporting periods.

There was, however, no additional infection among healthcare workers during either week 32 or week 33, according to the agency.

The NCDC said it was maintaining surveillance and response measures across affected states, stressing that Lassa fever remained a major public health concern requiring continued monitoring and intervention.