The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that 138 people have died from Lassa fever out of 717 confirmed cases recorded between January and May 4, 2025.
These cases were identified from a pool of 4,881 suspected infections within the period under review.
The outbreak has spanned 93 Local Government Areas across 18 states, according to the agency’s latest situation report published on its official website on Wednesday.
So far, 138 fatalities have been recorded, representing a Case Fatality Rate of 19.3 per cent.
The affected states with recorded deaths include Ondo (27), Bauchi (15), Edo (19), Taraba (34), Ebonyi (11), Kogi (4), Gombe (7), Plateau (5), Benue (5), Nasarawa (4), Kaduna (2), Enugu (1), Delta (2), Cross River (1), and Ogun (1).
Lassa fever is a severe viral haemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus. The disease is primarily spread by the multimammate rat, also known as the African rat, although other rodents can also serve as vectors.
Providing a breakdown of the recent trend, the report said, “In week 18, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 11 in epi week 17, of 2025, to 10. These were reported in Ondo, Edo, Bauchi and Benue States.”
It further highlighted that, “Cumulatively in week 18, 2025, 138 deaths have been reported with a CFR of 19.2 per cent which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2024 (18.0 per cent).”
The NCDC noted that confirmed cases have been detected in 93 LGAs across 18 states, with three states accounting for the bulk of the infections.
“71 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from three states (Ondo, Bauchi and Taraba) while 28 per cent were reported from 15 states with confirmed Lassa fever cases,” the report stated.
It added that among the three states, Ondo contributed 30 per cent of the confirmed cases, Bauchi 25 per cent, and Taraba 16 per cent.
The most impacted age group remains those aged 21 to 30 years, with the median age pegged at 30 years. The male-to-female ratio among confirmed infections stands at 1:0.8.
Compared to the same timeframe in 2024, the report observed a reduction in both suspected and confirmed cases.
It also stated, “No new healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week 18.”
To manage the outbreak, the agency confirmed that “The National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System activated to coordinate the response activities at all levels.”
