Death toll from lassa fever infections across the country have continued to rise steadily despite prevention and treatment efforts. Three (3) more people have lost their lives, making it a total of 155 deaths this year alone.
According to the Latest Lassa Fever Situation Report -Week 29, 2025 released by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on Tuesday,11 new confirmed cases were reported in Ondo, and Edo State.
TheFact Daily recalls that 152 deaths were recorded in Week 28, 2025 lassa fever situation report, though slightly lower than the number recorded last, it still leaves room for questions as to whether intervention efforts by the agency and development partners were yielding the desired result. It could be recalled that a young physician also lost his life to the disease earlier in the year.
NCDC, in the Report for Week 29 (14th–20th July, 2025) noted that Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 18.9%, higher than the Case Facility Rate (CFR) reported same period in 2024 (17.1%). Also, 822 confirmed cases and 155 deaths were recorded cumulatively in 2025.
Furthermore, Eighty-nine (89%) of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from five states (Ondo,
Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi) while 11% were reported from 16 states with confirmed
Lassa fever cases. Of the 89% confirmed cases, Ondo reported 32%, Bauchi 23%, Edo
17%, Taraba 14%, and Ebonyi 3%.
“In total for 2025, 21 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 105 Local
Government Areas. The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years (Range: 1 to 96 years, Median Age: 30
years). The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8″, the agency said.
It informed that no new healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week 29. However, the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) continues supporting coordination of response activities at all levels
