Nigeria, Sept. 22 -- Nigeria has recorded 259 deaths from Lassa fever since the beginning of 2026, with the case-fatality rate remaining significantly higher than it was during the same period last year.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in its Lassa Fever Situation Report for epidemiological week 36, covering 31 August to 6 September, said the country had recorded 1,086 confirmed cases across 24 states and 118 Local Government Areas.

The 259 deaths represent a case-fatality rate of 23.9 per cent, compared with 18.6 per cent recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.

Although the number of newly confirmed cases declined from 18 in week 35 to 12 in week 36, the cumulative number of confirmed cases incre...