Lassa Fever claims 152 lives in 2025 – NCDC

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.

According to its latest situation report, the agency said the number of new cases in week 28 remained the same as the previous week, with fresh infections reported in Ondo, Edo, and Benue states.

The current case fatality rate stands at 18.7 per cent, which is higher than the 17.3 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.

So far this year, 21 states have confirmed one or more cases of Lassa fever across 105 local government areas, underscoring the disease’s widespread presence in the country.

The NCDC said that five states have contributed the majority of confirmed cases. Ondo tops the list with 32 per cent, followed by Bauchi (23%), Edo (17%), Taraba (14%), and Ebonyi (3%). Combined, they account for 89 per cent of all confirmed infections, while the remaining 11 per cent were spread across 16 other states.

The most affected demographic continues to be people aged 21 to 30 years, with a median age of 30. The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is 1:0.8.

While there has been a decrease in both suspected and confirmed cases compared to the same period last year, the number of deaths remains concerning.

The NCDC also confirmed that no new infections among health workers were recorded during the latest reporting week.

Lassa feverNCDC