The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced that the country has recorded 145 deaths in 18 states due to Lassa fever in 2025.
In a recent report covering the week of June 9 to 15, the NCDC confirmed 766 cases of Lassa fever, identified from 5,678 suspected infections.
The agency said the death rate among those infected by the disease stands at 18.9 percent, which is higher than the 17.6 percent rate recorded in the same week in 2024.
It named the states most impacted by the disease outbreak as Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi, which together account for 91 percent of the confirmed cases.
However, Ondo is the hardest hit and is responsible for 31 percent of the identified cases.
Although the number of new cases has slightly declined, from 11 to eight in the past week, the NCDC is however worried about the high death rate.
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The agency noted that the high death rate is largely due to people seeking medical help too late, as well as unsanitary living conditions in many affected areas.
In response to the disease outbreak, health officials have sent teams to 10 states to help manage the situation, and are conducting campaigns to educate the public about hygiene and environmental health.
To keep people informed, the NCDC has lowered its alert status to a safer level, while still spreading awareness about Lassa fever as part of its broader health campaigns.
The agency encouraged the public to stay away from rats and seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms like fever, headaches, or any bleeding.
Lassa fever is a viral disease mainly spread through contact with the urine or feces of infected rats.
It can also be transmitted between people through bodily fluids or contaminated items.
Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, headaches, vomiting, muscle aches, and in severe cases, bleeding.
