The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 674 cases of Lassa fever with 127 deaths recorded from 4,025 suspected infections between January and April 6, 2025.
The cases were recorded across 93 local government areas in 18 states.
According to the NCDC’s latest situation report released on Tuesday, the 127 deaths recorded represent a case fatality rate of 18.8 percent, slightly higher than the 18.5 percent recorded during the same period in 2024.
It listed the states with the highest number of deaths as Taraba (31), Ondo (26), Edo (17), Bauchi (12), and Ebonyi (11).
Other affected states include Kogi (4), Plateau (5), Gombe (7), Benue (4), Nasarawa (4), Kaduna (2), Enugu (1), Delta (1), Cross River (1), and Ogun (1).
Read also: Ogun confirms one death from Lassa fever outbreak
The report revealed that in epidemiological week 14, the number of new confirmed cases rose slightly to 15, compared to 14 cases recorded in the previous week.
The new cases were reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Gombe States.
So far, the agency said 71 percent of all confirmed cases have been reported from just three states, namely Ondo (30 percent), Bauchi (25 percent), and Edo (16 percent), while the remaining 28 percent were spread across 15 other states.
The most affected age group remains individuals aged 21–30, with a median age of 30 years. The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is 1:0.8.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, primarily transmitted through contact with the urine or feces of infected multimammate rats, although other rodents can also be carriers.
The NCDC also reported that no new infections among healthcare workers were recorded in week 14, and the number of suspected cases has declined compared to the same period last year.
