Lassa fever deaths rise to 214 as fatality rate hits 25.0 %

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says Lassa fever has claimed 214 lives in Nigeria, with the case fatality rate climbing to 25.0 per cent.

The NCDC disclosed this via its Lassa Fever Situation Report for Week 23 (June 1 to June 7) released on Sunday, June 21, 2026.

The agency said this was up sharply from 18.9 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025.

It stated that both suspected and confirmed cases have also increased compared to 2025.

The NCDC said: “New confirmed cases held steady in week 23, matching the count from week 22.

“Infections were reported in Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, and Ebonyi. No new healthcare worker infections were reported during the week.

“The outbreak has spread across 23 states and 109 Local Government Areas since January 2026.”

The agency noted that five states account for 84 per cent of all confirmed cases, saying: “Ondo leads with 28 per cent, followed by Bauchi 25 per cent, Taraba 15 per cent, Edo 10 per cent, and Benue six per cent

“The remaining 16 per cent of cases are spread across 18 other states with confirmed infections.”

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The NCDC disclosed that young adults remain most affected.

The predominant age group, the NCDC said, is 21-30 years, with cases ranging from one to 93 years and a median age of 30 years.

The agency stated that to coordinate the response, the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System (IMS)r emained activated.

It said the IMS is supporting response activities at federal, state, and local government levels.

The NCDC said no new healthcare worker case was reported in week 23, adding that surveillance and case management efforts continue across the 23 affected states.