Nigeria is grappling with a worsening Lassa fever outbreak, with 152 fatalities recorded as of the 28th epidemiological week of 2025, according to the latest report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The agency’s Monday update revealed an 18.7% case fatality rate (CFR), marking an increase from the 17.3% CFR reported during the same period in 2024. The outbreak has spread across 21 states and 105 local government areas, with 6,520 suspected cases and 811 confirmed infections documented so far this year.
The NCDC report highlighted stagnant case numbers in week 28, with new infections concentrated in Ondo, Edo, and Benue states.
Alarmingly, five states account for 89% of all confirmed cases: “Eighty-nine percent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from five states (Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi)… Of these, Ondo reported 32%, Bauchi 23%, Edo 17%, Taraba 14%, and Ebonyi 3%.”
The remaining 11% of cases are distributed across 16 other states, demonstrating the disease’s widening geographic spread.
The agency emphasized the higher mortality rate compared to 2024, stating: “Cumulatively, as at week 28, 2025, 152 deaths have been reported with a Case Fatality Rate of 18.7%, which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2024 (17.3%).”
Health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, particularly in high-burden states where the hemorrhagic fever remains endemic.
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