The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that 176 people have died from Lassa fever across 21 states in 2025. In its Week 43 Situation Report, the recorded 955 confirmed cases out of 8,367 suspected infections in 102 local government areas. Although total infections have slightly declined compared to 2024, the case fatality rate has risen to 18.4 percent from 16.6 percent last year.
Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Taraba States remain the worst hit, accounting for 88 percent of confirmed cases, with Ondo leading at 37 percent. Most infections were recorded among people aged 21 to 30 years, and all 11 new cases in the latest reporting week came from Ondo State.
The NCDC linked the high death toll to late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour, and poor environmental sanitation, noting that these factors continue to hinder early detection and treatment.
To curb the spread, the agency said its multi-sectoral Technical Working Group, comprising the Federal Ministry of Health, WHO, MSF, and the US CDC, is coordinating national response efforts. Measures include the deployment of rapid response teams, after-action reviews, and community sensitisation campaigns in hotspot states.
Health workers in several states have been trained on case management, while the NCDC has distributed ribavirin, PPEs, and other essential supplies to treatment centres. It also launched an Infection Prevention and Control e-learning platform to build the capacity of frontline health workers.
No new infections among healthcare workers were reported in Week 43. The agency is also strengthening collaboration with global partners like Georgetown University and NAFDAC through vaccine research and clinical trials such as the INTEGRATE project in Ondo State.
As fatalities rise, the NCDC urged states to intensify public awareness and sanitation campaigns and advised health professionals to ensure early diagnosis and prompt treatment of suspected cases.
Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic illness spread mainly by rodents, causes symptoms ranging from fever and weakness to bleeding and organ failure. The NCDC reiterated that early treatment with Ribavirin greatly improves survival chances.
