Key Points

• Nigeria recorded 29 new Lassa fever cases and five deaths in one week.
• Ondo, Bauchi, and Edo states account for 72 percent of confirmed cases.
• The case fatality rate stands at 18.7 percent, slightly lower than last year.

Nigeria has recorded 29 new cases of Lassa fever and five deaths within a week, bringing the total fatalities in 2025 to 100, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

Current outbreak status

In its latest report covering February 24 to March 2, the NCDC confirmed that Nigeria has recorded 535 Lassa fever cases across 13 states and 75 local government areas this year.

Though the number of new infections dropped from the previous week’s 54, the virus continues to pose a significant public health concern.

States most affected

The most affected states remain Ondo, Bauchi, and Edo, which together account for 72 percent of all confirmed cases.

Ondo alone recorded 168 cases (31 percent), followed by Bauchi with 128 cases (24 percent) and Edo with 93 cases (17 percent).

In the reporting week, 29 new cases and five deaths came from nine states: Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Plateau, Cross River, Nasarawa, and Enugu.

The overall case fatality rate stands at 18.7 percent, a slight decrease from the 18.8 percent recorded in the same period last year.

Who is most at risk?

The report revealed that the most affected age group is 21 to 30 years, with a median age of 30. The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is 1:0.8, indicating slightly higher infection rates among males.

Response efforts to contain the outbreak

To manage the outbreak, the NCDC has activated the National Lassa Fever Incident Management System.

Rapid response teams have been deployed to the affected states to assist with control measures under a “One Health” approach, which focuses on human, animal, and environmental health interventions.

The agency also urged Nigerians to maintain proper hygiene, store food in rodent-proof containers, and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms occur.

Understanding Lassa fever

Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted primarily through contact with food or household items contaminated by rodent urine or feces.

It can also spread through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids.

Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle pains. In severe cases, unexplained bleeding from the nose, mouth, or ears can occur.

The NCDC continues to emphasize early detection and treatment as crucial steps in reducing fatalities.