The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 674 confirmed Lassa fever cases out of 4,025 suspected incidents between January 1st and April 6, 2025, in 18 states across 93 local government councils.
The NCDC situation reports on Tuesday indicated Nigeria had recorded 127 deaths with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 18.8 per cent.
The states with reported death cases are Ondo (26), Bauchi (12), Edo (17), Taraba (31), Ebonyi (11), Kogi (four), and Plateau (five).
Others are Gombe (seven), Benue (four), Nasarawa (four), Kaduna (two), Enugu (one), Delta (one), Cross River (one), and Ogun (one).
Earlier, The Daily Crucible reports that the Nigeria’s infectious disease monitoring agency – Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) had disclosed that the country recorded 1,154 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and 190 deaths in 2024.
NCDC also said that six states accounted for 89 per cent of the cases.
Director-General of NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, at the time disclosed it in Abuja, listing the six states as Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, Benue, and Ebonyi.
And narrowing down to the council level and local government areas, Idris identified Owo, Etsako West (both in Ondo ) and Jalingo(Taraba) as most hard hit and contributing to nearly 59 per cent of cases.
The Daily Crucible also reports that Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness transmitted primarily through rodents. It is a recurring endemic health challenge in Nigeria, with peak transmission typically occurring during dry season from October to May when bush burning that dispossess rodents of their habits is rife.
Shorn of their habitats and food due to bush burning, the rodents move closer to human habitations for shelter and food, then putting man at the risk of contracting the Lassa fever virus.
The Daily Crucible further reports that agency had earlier urged the public to prioritize environmental hygiene by taking measures to prevent rodent infestations in homes, food storage areas, and utensils as one of the most effective ways to curb the spread of the disease.
The agency’s latest report partly read, “In week 14, the number of new confirmed cases increased from 14 in EPI week 13 of 2025 to 15. These were reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Gombe States. Cumulatively, in week 14, 2025, 127 deaths have been reported with a CFR of 18.8 per cent, which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2024 (18.5 per cent).
“In total, for 2025, 18 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 93 LGAs. 71 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from these three states – Ondo, Bauchi and Edo – while 28 per cent were reported from 15 states with confirmed Lassa fever cases. Of the 71 per cent confirmed cases, Ondo reported 30 per cent, Bauchi 25 per cent, and Edo 16 per cent.”
It noted that the predominant age group affected is 21-30 years, adding that the number of suspected cases decreased when compared to the same period in 2024, and no new healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week 14.
It stated that the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System had been activated to coordinate the response activities at all levels.
