Lassa Fever: Death toll hits 191

By Chioma Obinna
Indication emerged that Nigeria is witnessing a worrying resurgence of Lassa fever infections, as new data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) revealed a sharp rise in confirmed cases and a persistently high fatality rate across affected states.
In its Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epidemiological Week, the agency confirmed that new cases jumped from nine in Week 17 to 22 in Week 18, with infections recorded in Ondo, Edo, and Plateau States.
The update also revealed that 191 deaths have been recorded so far in 2026, pushing the case fatality rate (CFR) to 24.6 per cent, significantly higher than 19.2 per cent recorded during the same...