Nigeria: Lassa Fever - 53 Health Workers Infected As Cases Hit 1,000 in 2026

What the report says

Nigeria has recorded 1,000 confirmed Lassa fever cases and 237 deaths in 2026, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), as reported by Premium Times and distributed by AllAfrica. The agency’s latest situation updates covered epidemiological weeks 29 and 30, spanning 13 to 26 July, and showed 17 new confirmed infections and six additional deaths in the latest week cited.

The report said 23 states have now confirmed cases, spread across 116 local government areas. Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue accounted for most infections, with Ondo listed as the largest share. The NCDC also said 53 healthcare workers have been infected this year, underlining the exposure of frontline staff during the outbreak.

The agency said it has put in place measures to limit infections among health workers, including a 30-day protection plan with support from the World Health Organisation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those steps reportedly include training, better infection prevention practices, protective equipment and technical support for investigations.

The NCDC linked the continuing death toll to late care-seeking, high treatment costs, weak environmental sanitation and limited awareness in affected communities. Lassa fever is a rodent-borne viral illness that can spread between people through contact with bodily fluids; public health officials generally stress early diagnosis and treatment to reduce severe complications.