The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has revealed that Lassa fever infections in the country have climbed to 1,035, with the death toll now reaching 252.

According to the latest epidemiological situation report released by the agency on Tuesday, 14 new confirmed cases were documented during Week 33 (August 10 to August 16). The new infections were recorded across Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Benue states.

The NCDC highlighted a worrying surge in the severity of the outbreak. The national case fatality rate (CFR) has jumped to 24.4 per cent, representing a significant spike from the 18.6 per cent mortality rate recorded during the same period in 2025.

The 14 new cases signal a sharp rebound from Week 32, which had seen a brief drop to just four cases across Ondo and Edo states. Prior to that, Week 31 had recorded 17 cases, indicating a highly volatile weekly transmission pattern.

Geographically, the disease has spread to 23 states across 117 Local Government Areas. However, the outbreak remains heavily concentrated. Five states—Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, and Edo—account for a staggering 87 per cent of all cumulative infections nationwide.

Demographic data from the NCDC shows that young adults aged 21 to 30 remain the most vulnerable demographic, dominating the infection charts in recent weeks.

In a positive development, the NCDC confirmed that no new healthcare worker infections were reported in either Week 32 or Week 33. The agency assured the public that it is maintaining heightened surveillance and scaling up containment activities to tackle what remains a major national public health threat.