Lassa Fever Surge: 12 Deaths, 76 New Cases Reported Across 10 States – NCDC

ABUJA – The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 76 new Lassa fever cases and 12 deaths across 10 states in Nigeria between January 20 and January 26, 2025.

The latest Week 4 epidemiology report, released on Friday, revealed a slight increase in new cases compared to Week 3, where 71 cases were recorded.

According to the report, Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi accounted for 75% of confirmed cases, with: Ondo reporting 37%, Edo 21%, and Bauchi 17%.

So far in 2025, a total of 53 deaths have been recorded, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 18.3%, slightly lower than the 18.6% recorded in the same period of 2024.

The National Lassa Fever Incident Management System (IMS) has been activated to coordinate response activities nationwide.

NCDC warned against late presentation of cases, emphasizing that delayed treatment, poor health-seeking behavior, and high treatment costs contribute to increased fatality rates.

The agency urged heightened surveillance, early detection, and preventive measures, particularly in high-risk states, to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

Toyin Adebayo is dedicated professional with over a decade experience of covering news and current events.

My background lies in gathering and analyzing facts about newsworthy events through stories, features, interview, investigation, and observation. My reports have featured in many National Dailies and currently with INDEPENDENT Newspaper.

Toyin holds a BA Ed in English Education, a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, National Association of Women Journalist. Married with kids.