The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that 152 people have died from Lassa fever as of epidemiological week 28 in 2025.
This represents a case fatality rate of 18.7 per cent, which is higher than the 17.3 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.
In its latest situation report, the NCDC confirmed that the number of new cases recorded in week 28 remained unchanged from the previous week.
It said the latest new infections were reported from Ondo, Edo, and Benue states.
So far in 2025, at least 21 states have recorded one or more confirmed cases of Lassa fever across 105 local government areas, showing the continued spread of the disease across multiple regions.
The majority of confirmed Lassa fever cases this year were concentrated in five states.
Ondo recorded the highest share with 32 per cent of all confirmed cases, followed by Bauchi with 23 per cent, Edo with 17 per cent, Taraba with 14 per cent, and Ebonyi with three per cent.
These five states together account for 89 per cent of all infections reported so far, while the remaining 11 per cent were spread across 16 other states.
The most affected age group remains those between 21 and 30 years, with a median age of 30.
The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is one to zero point eight. Although there has been a reduction in the number of suspected and confirmed cases compared to the same period in 2024, the death toll remains high.
The NCDC noted that no new health worker infection was recorded in the reporting week.
(Premium Times)
