The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that 166 people have died from Lassa fever in the country between January 1 and September 14, 2025.
The health agency gave the update on Thursday, noting that the Case Fatality Rate has risen to 18.5 per cent, compared to 16.9 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.
“In week 37, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 13 in week 36 of 2025 to 11. These were reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Kogi, and Anambra States,” the NCDC said.
“Cumulatively, as at week 37, 2025, 166 deaths have been reported with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 18.5 per cent, which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2024 (16.9 per cent). In total for 2025, 21 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 106 Local Government Areas,” it added.
According to the report, Nigeria recorded 7,673 suspected cases and 895 confirmed cases of Lassa fever across 21 states this year.
The majority of confirmed cases came from just five states: Ondo (33 per cent), Bauchi (23 per cent), Edo (18 per cent), Taraba (13 per cent), and Ebonyi (3 per cent). The other 16 states made up the remaining 10 per cent.
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The NCDC explained that most patients were between 21 and 30 years old, while the male-to-female ratio of confirmed cases stood at 1 to 0.8.
The agency noted that no new health workers were infected in the reporting week and that the number of cases had dropped compared to the same period last year.
Lassa fever is an acute viral illness caused by the Lassa virus. The World Health Organisation says the virus is mainly spread to humans through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces. It can also spread from person to person, especially in hospitals without proper infection control.
The NCDC said its National Lassa Fever Technical Working Group continues to coordinate response activities at all levels.