The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that six healthcare workers contracted Lassa fever within a single week, raising fresh concerns about occupational exposure among frontline health personnel.
The agency disclosed this on Monday in its Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epidemiological Week 9, covering February 23 to March 1.
According to the report, the infections occurred as Nigeria continues to battle the viral haemorrhagic disease across several states.
The NCDC noted that a total of 37 healthcare workers have been infected with Lassa fever in 2026 so far.
During the week under review, Nigeria recorded 65 confirmed cases of the disease, slightly lower than the 77 cases reported the previous week. The confirmed infections were reported in Benue, Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, and Nasarawa states.
The report also indicated that 460 suspected cases were documented during the period, with nine deaths recorded among confirmed cases, resulting in a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 13.9 percent.
Cumulatively, the NCDC said Nigeria has recorded 2,446 suspected cases and 469 confirmed cases of Lassa fever in 2026, with 109 deaths reported so far. The overall case fatality rate stands at 23.2 percent, higher than the 18.7 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.
In addition, 18 states and 69 local government areas have reported at least one confirmed case this year. About 86 percent of the confirmed infections were recorded in five states—Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, and Edo.
The NCDC attributed the rising fatalities partly to late presentation of cases at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour, and low awareness in some high-burden communities.
To address the situation, the agency said it has activated a multi-partner Incident Management System to coordinate response efforts nationwide. Response activities include active case searches, contact tracing, distribution of personal protective equipment to health facilities, and the deployment of rapid response teams to affected states.
The agency also urged healthcare workers to maintain a high level of vigilance for suspected Lassa fever cases and to strictly follow infection prevention and control measures to reduce hospital-based transmission.
According to the World Health Organization(WHO), Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness first identified in 1969 in the town of Lassa. The disease is endemic in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, and is primarily carried by the multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis).
Humans typically become infected through contact with rodent urine or droppings, contaminated food, or through person-to-person transmission in healthcare settings where proper infection prevention measures are not followed.
While many infections are mild or asymptomatic, about 20 percent can develop severe illness, with symptoms including fever, headache, vomiting, bleeding, and organ failure.
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