ABUJA — The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised fresh alarm over a surge in Lassa fever cases across 18 states and 67 Local Government Areas, warning that operational lapses at the state level are fuelling sustained transmission and rising fatalities.
The agency said Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Benue states account for more than 80 percent of confirmed cases recorded during the 2026 peak transmission season, underscoring the concentration of infections in known endemic zones.
Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, described the situation as troubling, particularly with the growing number of infections among healthcare workers.
So far this season, 28 health workers have been infected, with three deaths recorded.
Idris said field investigations revealed that while most cases were emerging from endemic areas, weak implementation of established outbreak response frameworks had worsened the spread and pushed up the case fatality rate.
He identified key gaps to include infections occurring in general outpatient and maternity settings, poor adherence to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, and inadequate pre-positioning of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Other factors driving transmission, he said, are delayed presentation of patients due to financial constraints, inconsistent activation of State Incident Management Systems, weak contact tracing, persistent stigma, and substandard isolation centre conditions.
The NCDC boss stressed that within Nigeria’s federal structure, outbreak response and health service delivery rest largely with state governments.
He therefore urged affected and high-risk states to urgently activate and closely monitor their Incident Management Systems to ensure timely coordination and effective response at all levels of healthcare delivery.
He also called for the immediate release of response funds, strict enforcement of IPC compliance in both public and private health facilities, and the continuous availability of PPE and other critical supplies.
Idris advocated accelerated financial protection mechanisms to reduce late presentation and fatalities, as well as sustained rodent control and environmental sanitation measures under a One Health approach.
He advised healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion and adhere strictly to IPC guidelines, while urging members of the public to keep their surroundings clean, prevent rodents from entering homes, store food properly, and seek prompt medical care when symptoms arise.
Noting that Lassa fever is treatable with better outcomes when detected early, Idris added that Nigeria is simultaneously battling other epidemic-prone diseases, including Cerebrospinal Meningitis, Diphtheria, Mpox and Cholera.
He reiterated the NCDC’s toll-free emergency line, 6232, for reporting suspected cases and obtaining further information.
