The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that 166 people have died from Lassa fever between January and mid-September 2025, noting that the case fatality rate (CFR) this year is higher than that recorded in 2024.
The update, published on the agency’s official website on Thursday, covered Epidemiological Week 37 (September 8–14). According to the report, 895 confirmed cases have been documented across 21 states and 106 local government areas. This represents a CFR of 18.5 per cent, compared with 16.9 per cent during the same period last year.
NCDC highlighted that although the number of suspected and confirmed cases is lower than in 2024, more patients are dying due to late presentation at health facilities and poor health-seeking practices, often influenced by the high cost of treatment.
Five states—Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi—remain the most affected, accounting for 90 per cent of all confirmed cases. Ondo alone contributes about one-third of the national total.
The agency further disclosed that no healthcare worker was newly infected during the reporting week. However, it warned that poor sanitation, limited awareness in high-risk communities, and delays in seeking medical attention are major drivers of transmission and severe outcomes.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease caused by the Lassa virus. It is primarily spread to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by rodents, particularly the multimammate rat. Human-to-human transmission is also possible, especially in medical settings without adequate infection prevention measures. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, chest pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and in severe cases, unexplained bleeding.
Nigeria carries the heaviest burden of the disease in West Africa. To strengthen its response, the NCDC has deployed 10 rapid response teams to affected states, introduced new training modules on infection prevention and control, and expanded clinical management fellowship programmes in collaboration with national and international partners.
The agency urged state governments to intensify community engagement and preventive campaigns, while also reminding healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion and begin treatment promptly when symptoms appear.