Nigeria records 177 Lassa fever deaths as fatality rate rises

Nigeria has recorded 177 fatalities from Lassa fever between January and early November 2025, according to new figures released on Thursday by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

In its latest situation update, the agency reported that 966 confirmed infections have been detected so far in 21 states and 102 Local Government Areas, covering up to epidemiological Week 44, which ended on 2 November.

The Case Fatality Rate has climbed to 18.3 per cent, surpassing the 16.5 per cent documented during the same period last year. The rise suggests increasing challenges in curbing the spread and severity of the viral disease.

The NCDC reported a slight increase in new infections, rising from 11 cases in Week 43 to 12 in Week 44. The latest cases were recorded in Ondo, Edo and Benue.

Data shows that four states account for 87 per cent of the confirmed cases so far this year:

Ondo – 36%

Bauchi – 21%

Edo – 17%

Taraba – 13%

The remaining cases were spread across 17 other states.

The most affected age group is young adults aged 21 to 30, although patients as young as one and as old as 96 have been treated. The median patient age is 30, and the infection ratio stands at one male to every 0.8 females.

The centre noted that overall suspected and confirmed cases are slightly lower than those logged during the same timeframe in 2024. It also confirmed that no healthcare worker was newly infected in Week 44.

According to the NCDC, the national multi-partner, multi-sectoral Technical Working Group for Lassa fever continues to coordinate nationwide response efforts as the country battles one of its most persistent public health threats.