From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed a total of 1,119 cases of Lassa fever across the country in 2025, with Ondo, Bauchi and Edo states accounting for the bulk of infections recorded nationwide.
The agency disclosed this in its Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epidemiological Week 51, covering December 15 to 21, 2025, which detailed the spread, fatalities and demographic trends associated with the viral haemorrhagic disease.
According to the report, 21 new confirmed cases and five deaths were recorded during the week under review, down from 28 cases in the preceding week, indicating a modest decline in new infections. The fresh cases were reported from Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, Kogi, Ebonyi and Plateau states.
In total, 21 states across 105 Local Government Areas have recorded at least one confirmed case of Lassa fever in 2025. The NCDC noted that four states — Ondo, Bauchi, Edo and Taraba — accounted for 88 per cent of all confirmed cases nationwide, with Ondo State alone contributing 35 percent of the total infections.
The report further showed that young adults remain the most affected group, with individuals aged 21 to 30 years accounting for the highest number of confirmed cases. The median age of infected persons nationwide was put at 30 years. Males were found to be slightly more affected than females, a pattern the agency attributed to differences in exposure risks and health-seeking behaviour in endemic communities.
So far, 206 deaths have been recorded among confirmed cases in 2025, representing a case fatality rate of 18.4 percent. This is higher than the 16.4 percent case fatality rate reported during the same period in 2024.
The NCDC identified late presentation at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour due to high treatment costs, and poor environmental sanitation in high-burden communities as key challenges undermining effective outbreak control.
It urged healthcare workers across the country to maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever, ensure early diagnosis and prompt treatment of suspected cases, and strictly adhere to infection prevention and control measures.
The agency also called on state governments to intensify risk communication, community engagement and environmental sanitation efforts to curb the spread of the disease.
The NCDC said it would continue to coordinate a multi-sectoral national response, including enhanced surveillance, case management, laboratory services, and infection prevention and control activities in affected and at-risk communities.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness mainly transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated with the urine or faeces of infected rodents. Human-to-human transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings with inadequate infection control practices.
