The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that Lassa fever has claimed 168 lives across 21 states in 2025.
In its situation report for epidemiological week 38, the agency revealed that out of 4,543 suspected cases, 897 were confirmed positive, with a case fatality rate of 18.7 percent.
Ondo, Edo, Taraba, and Bauchi remain the epicentres of the outbreak, accounting for 67 percent of all confirmed cases, with Ondo bearing the highest burden, followed by Edo and Bauchi.
Other affected states include Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Gombe, Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Enugu, Delta, Anambra, Rivers, Borno, Oyo, Ogun, the Federal Capital Territory, and Lagos.
The NCDC noted that most confirmed cases were recorded among people aged 21 to 40, a group considered the most socially and economically active, making them more vulnerable to exposure.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected rats.
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