The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has expressed concern over a worrying increase in Lassa fever deaths in 2025, even though both suspected and confirmed cases remain significantly lower than last year.
According to Hobnob News, the agency’s Week 31 situation report, covering the period ending August 3, 2025, recorded nine new cases in Ondo, Edo, and Taraba States—up from three in the previous week. This brings the cumulative total for the year to 836 confirmed cases and 156 deaths.
The current case fatality rate stands at 18.7 percent, surpassing the 17.3 percent recorded in the same period in 2024.
As of August 3, Nigeria has reported 6,851 suspected cases of Lassa fever across 21 states and 105 local government areas. Ondo State accounts for the highest burden with 33 percent of cases, followed by Bauchi (23 percent), Edo (17 percent), Taraba (14 percent), and Ebonyi (3 percent). Most cases occur among individuals aged 21–30 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1 to 0.8.
The NCDC attributed the rising fatality rate to factors such as late presentation at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour linked to treatment costs, and inadequate sanitation in high-burden communities.
To address the situation, the agency has deployed ten National Rapid Response Teams, distributed contact thermometers, rolled out an Infection Prevention and Control e-learning course, and conducted targeted healthcare worker training in Bauchi, Ebonyi, and Benue States. Sensitisation campaigns are being intensified in hotspot areas, with Lassa fever awareness messages integrated into broader public health communications.
The NCDC urged state governments to sustain community engagement activities throughout the year and called on healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever. It also emphasised the need for states to strengthen capacity for early detection and rapid response.
While 2025 has so far recorded fewer suspected and confirmed cases compared to 2024, the agency warned that the rising death rate should serve as a “clarion call” for urgent and sustained action to prevent further loss of life.
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