Nigeria records fewer Lassa fever cases but more deaths – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised concerns over a rise in Lassa fever deaths in 2025, even as the total number of suspected and confirmed cases remains significantly lower than the previous year.

In its Week 31 situation report, ending August 3, 2025, NCDC reported nine new cases in Ondo, Edo, and Taraba States—up from three last week. The cumulative total for 2025 has now reached 836 confirmed cases and 156 deaths.

This represents a case fatality rate of 18.7 percent, higher than the 17.3 percent recorded in the same period of 2024.

As of August 3, there have been 6,851 suspected cases in 2025 in Nigeria, with 21 states and 105 local government areas affected.

The states with the highest burden are Ondo with 33 percent of cases, Bauchi with 23 percent, Edo with 17 percent, Taraba with 14 percent, and Ebonyi with 3 percent.

Most cases fall within the 21–30 age group, and the male-to-female ratio stands at 1 to 0.8.

The NCDC identified late presentation at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour linked to treatment costs, and inadequate sanitation in high-burden areas as key drivers of the rising fatality rate.

The NCDC identified late presentation at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour linked to treatment costs, and inadequate sanitation in high-burden areas as key drivers of the rising fatality rate.

Repurposing efforts have included the call for ten National Rapid Response Teams, distribution of contact thermometers, rollout of an Infection Prevention and Control e-learning course, and targeted training of healthcare workers in Bauchi, Ebonyi and Benue States.

Sensitisation efforts are also being ramped-up in hotspot local government areas, and Lassa fever messages are being integrated into anti-Lassa fever messaging to the public that captures other infection prevention and public health messages.

The agency also seized the opportunity to call on state governments to carry out community engagement activities all year. They also encouraged healthcare workers to maintain high levels of suspicion about Lassa fever and highlighted a further need for states to build their capacity to improve early detection and rapid response.

While it generally reported lower suspected and confirmed Lassa fever cases than the year before in 2024, NCDC warned that an increase in death rate continues to be a clarion call for urgent and lasting actions to prevent more deaths.