The death toll from Nigeria’s Lassa fever outbreak has climbed to 166 since the beginning of 2025, health authorities said on Thursday.
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in its latest update, reported 895 confirmed cases between January and September across 106 local Government areas in 21 of the country’s 36 States.
The case fatality rate currently stands at 18.5 percent, surpassing the 16.9 percent recorded during the same period in 2024. Officials attributed the higher mortality to “late presentation and poor health-seeking behaviour, often linked to the high cost of treatment,” warning that weak public awareness continues to fuel the spread of the disease.
Edo, Ebonyi, Ondo, Bauchi, and Taraba remain the hardest-hit states, accounting for over 90 percent of confirmed cases nationwide. Ondo alone represents one-third of all infections, underscoring its position as a persistent hotspot for the virus. According to the NCDC, poor sanitation in high-burden communities, limited public knowledge, and delays in seeking medical attention are exacerbating the crisis. In response, a multi-sectoral incident management system has been activated to coordinate containment efforts and strengthen surveillance across affected regions.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness transmitted primarily through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through direct contact with the blood, saliva, urine, or other excreta of infected individuals. Health authorities have urged communities to prioritise sanitation, seek early medical attention, and report suspected cases promptly to prevent further escalation of the outbreak.