Nigeria records 10 new deaths from Lassa fever

Nigeria has recorded a decrease in Lassa fever infections, with confirmed cases dropping from 68 in week five to 54 in week six, from 3 to 9 February.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) revealed this in its situation report for week six, adding that 10 new deaths were recorded in the reporting week across eight states.

The affected states are Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, Benue, Gombe, Kogi, and Ebonyi.
Cumulatively, in 2025, a total of 80 deaths and 413 confirmed cases have been recorded across 63 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 11 states.

More Details

The NCDC stated that 73 per cent of all confirmed cases were from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi, while 27 per cent were reported from eight other states.

Of the 73 per cent of all confirmed cases, Ondo recorded 34 per cent, Edo 21 per cent, and Bauchi 18 per cent.

The number of deaths resulted in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 19.4 per cent, which is higher than the CFR of 17.5 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.

While no health worker was affected in the reporting week, the NCDC stated that 11 states had recorded at least one confirmed case of Lassa fever across 63 LGAs between weeks one and six.

It was noted that the predominant age group affected was 21-30 years.

The NCDC further stated that the National Lassa Fever Multi-Partner, Multi-Sectoral Incident Management System has been activated to coordinate response activities at all levels.

Using a One Health approach, the centre has also deployed National Rapid Response Teams to support onsite control and management efforts.

Challenges

In the report, the NCDC highlighted some challenges in the fight against Lassa fever.

These include the late presentation of cases leading to an increase in CFR and poor health-seeking behaviour due to the high cost of treatment and clinical management of Lassa fever.

Other challenges include poor environmental sanitation conditions observed in high-burden communities and a lack of awareness in these areas.

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Lassa Fever

Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or persons.

Symptoms of Lassa fever include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, and chest pain. In severe cases, it can cause unexplained bleeding from the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and other body openings.