The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that 176 people have died from Lassa fever across the country.
According to the agency’s latest epidemiological report, as of Week 43 of 2025, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) has risen to 18.4 per cent, compared to 16.6 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.
Lassa fever, described by the World Health Organization, WHO, as an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, is transmitted primarily through contact with food or household items contaminated with the urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats. According to WHO, the disease is endemic in the rodent population across parts of West Africa.
As of Week 43, Nigeria has reported a total of 955 confirmed cases. In total for 2025, 21 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 102 local government areas.
The report further stated that in Week 43, the number of new confirmed cases increased from nine in Epidemiological Week 42 to 11, all reported in Ondo State.
It noted, “Cumulatively, as of Week 43, 2025, 176 deaths have been reported with a Case Fatality Rate of 18.4 per cent, which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2024 (16.6 per cent).”
Overall, the NCDC said that 88 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from four states — Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Taraba — while the remaining 12 per cent were reported from 17 other states with confirmed cases.