Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria has recorded 1,086 confirmed Lassa fever cases and 259 deaths across 24 states and 118 Local Government Areas in 2026, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on Tuesday.
The figures are contained in the agency’s Lassa Fever Situation Report for epidemiological week 36, covering August 31 to September 6, 2026. The NCDC’s situation-report portal lists a Week 36 report among its current Lassa fever updates.
The latest report recorded 12 new confirmed cases during the week, down from 18 cases reported in epidemiological week 35. The new cases were reported in Ondo, Edo and Kogi states, according to the NCDC.
Despite the decline in weekly infections, the cumulative death toll increased from 258 in week 35 to 259 in week 36. The resulting case fatality rate stood at 23.9 per cent, slightly lower than the 24 per cent recorded at the end of week 35 but higher than the 18.6 per cent reported during the corresponding period in 2025.
The disease has now been recorded across 24 states and 118 LGAs in 2026, indicating a wide geographical spread. Five states — Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue and Edo — accounted for 87 per cent of all confirmed cases recorded by week 36.
The NCDC said people aged 21 to 30 years remained the most affected age group.
No new healthcare worker infection was recorded during week 36, leaving the number of affected health workers unchanged during the reporting period.
The latest figures show a continued decline in new confirmed cases over the past two reporting weeks. Nigeria recorded 21 confirmed cases in week 34, followed by 18 cases in week 35 and 12 cases in week 36.
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