NCDC Reports 966 Lassa Fever Cases With 177 Fatalities.

Nigeria has recorded 177 deaths from Lassa fever between January and early November 2025, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported on Thursday.

According to the latest epidemiological situation report, as of Week 44 (ending November 2), the country has confirmed 966 cases across 21 states and 102 Local Government Areas.

The Case Fatality Rate now stands at 18.3 per cent, up from 16.5 per cent during the same period in 2024, indicating a worsening trend in Nigeria’s response to the disease.

Lassa fever, as defined by the World Health Organization, is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, typically transmitted through exposure to food or household items contaminated with the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats. The disease is endemic in several West African countries, including Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria.

The NCDC report shows that new confirmed cases rose slightly from 11 in Week 43 to 12 in Week 44, with infections reported in Ondo, Edo, and Benue states. So far in 2025, four states—Ondo (36%), Bauchi (21%), Edo (17%), and Taraba (13%)—account for 87% of all confirmed cases, while the remaining 13% were reported across 17 other states.

The agency noted that the most affected age group is 21–30 years, with patients ranging from 1 to 96 years old. The median age is 30, and the male-to-female ratio is 1:0.8.

Despite the ongoing outbreak, the number of suspected and confirmed cases this year is lower than the figures recorded during the same period in 2024. No new healthcare worker infections were reported in Week 44.

The NCDC stated that the national multi-partner, multi-sectoral Lassa fever Technical Working Group continues to coordinate response activities at all levels as Nigeria confronts one of its most persistent and deadly infectious diseases.