Nigeria has recorded 14 new confirmed cases of Lassa fever, bringing the country’s cumulative infections this year to 1,035, while the death toll has risen to 252.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this in its Week 33 Lassa fever situation report released in Abuja on Tuesday.
The latest cases were recorded between August 10 and August 16 across Bauchi, Benue, Ondo and Edo states.
The agency also reported 12 additional deaths, pushing the total number of fatalities to 252 and raising the case fatality rate to 24.4 per cent.
The fatality rate is higher than the 18.6 per cent recorded during the same period in 2025, indicating a worsening outcome among confirmed cases.
The latest figures also show a sharp increase in weekly infections, with 14 confirmed cases recorded in Week 33 compared with four cases reported in Week 32, when Ondo and Edo states were affected.
During Week 32, the cumulative number of confirmed infections stood at 1,021, while reported deaths were 240, with a case fatality rate of 23.5 per cent.
The NCDC said the Week 32 figure represented a decline from the 17 confirmed cases recorded in Week 31, highlighting fluctuations in the spread of the disease.
By Week 33, a total of 23 states had reported at least one confirmed Lassa fever case, with infections recorded across 117 local government areas.
With Lassa fever continuing to pose a public health challenge in affected parts of the country, the NCDC said it would sustain surveillance and response activities aimed at monitoring and containing the spread of the disease.
The agency urged continued vigilance and adherence to public health measures as surveillance and response efforts continue across affected states.
