NCDC Confirms 176 Deaths From Lassa Fever Across 21 States

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that at least 176 people have died from Lassa fever across 21 states.

According to the agency’s latest Lassa Fever Situation Report, a total of 955 confirmed cases have been reported from 8,367 suspected infections across 102 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

While the overall number of infections has slightly declined compared to the same period in 2024, the NCDC says the case fatality rate has worsened, rising from 16.6 per cent last year to 18.4 per cent in 2025.

Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Taraba remain the epicentres of the outbreak, accounting for 88 per cent of all confirmed cases recorded so far this year. Ondo State leads with 37 per cent of infections, followed by Bauchi with 21 per cent, Edo with 17 per cent, and Taraba with 13 per cent.

During the reporting week, newly confirmed cases rose slightly from nine in week 42 to 11 in week 43- all reported from Ondo State. The NCDC also noted that the most affected age group is between 21 and 30 years, with a median age of 30 and a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.8.

The agency linked the rising deaths to the late presentation of cases and poor health-seeking behaviour among residents of affected communities.

It added that the high cost of treatment and poor environmental sanitation continue to fuel infections in high-burden areas.

To strengthen control efforts, the NCDC said its multi-sectoral Technical Working Group, comprising the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the US CDC, continues to coordinate response activities nationwide.

Health workers in Bauchi, Benue, and Ebonyi have received training on case management, while community sensitisation and radio awareness campaigns are ongoing in hotspot areas like Ondo.

The NCDC also launched an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) e-learning platform to enhance the capacity of frontline workers and distributed ribavirin and protective equipment to treatment centres.

The agency confirmed that no new healthcare worker infections were recorded in week 43.

It added that research collaborations with Georgetown University, MSF, and the Nigerian Lassa Fever Vaccine Taskforce are ongoing to improve vaccine development and outbreak preparedness.

The NCDC urged states to strengthen community engagement and environmental health campaigns to reduce further spread and advised healthcare workers to ensure early diagnosis and timely treatment of suspected cases.

Source: Channels