The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 506 cases of Lassa fever out of 2,492 suspected cases, with 95 deaths recorded as of February 23, 2025.
According to the NCDC’s Week 8 situation report, the disease has spread to 12 states and 70 local government areas, with a case fatality ratio of 18.8 percent.
The most affected states are Ondo (160 cases), Bauchi (122), Edo (88), and Taraba (80), while others include Ebonyi, Kogi, Gombe, Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Delta, and Cross River.
The report indicates a rise in new confirmed cases, increasing from 38 in Week 7 to 54 in Week 8, with fresh cases reported in Bauchi, Ondo, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Plateau, Benue, and Kogi states.
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The NCDC noted that Ondo, Bauchi, and Edo account for 73 percent of all confirmed cases, with Ondo alone reporting 32 percent, Bauchi 24 percent, and Edo 17 percent. The most affected age group is between 21 and 30 years, and the male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is 1:0.8.
A healthcare worker was among the newly affected individuals in Week 8. The NCDC has activated a national multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System to coordinate response efforts at all levels.
Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease spread by the common African mastomys rat, is prevalent during Nigeria’s dry season. The NCDC urges the public to take preventive measures, including proper food storage and hygiene, to curb the spread of the disease.
