The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed two new deaths from Lassa fever, making a total of 145 deaths in 2025 as the country continues to battle the viral hemorrhagic disease across 18 states.
The confirmation is according to the latest situation report released on Friday by the NCDC for epidemiological week 24 (June 9–15), with 766 confirmed cases from 5,678 suspected infections recorded.
The agency said the case fatality rate stood at 18.9 percent, up from 17.6 per cent during the same period in 2024.
It also highlighted the most affected states including, Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi, which accounted for 91 per cent of the confirmed cases, with Ondo alone accounting for 31 percent, making it the epicentre of the outbreak.
Despite a decline in new confirmed cases, down to eight from 11 the previous week, the Nigerian public health agency said that health authorities remained concerned about the high fatality rate.
However, the agency said this was driven by late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour, and unsanitary living conditions in high-burden communities.
THE WHISTLER reported that NCDC report released on Tuesday June 17, said that one health worker from Osun was infected.
The NCDC reiterated that efforts to contain the outbreak remained the deployment of Rapid Response Teams to 10 states, risk communication, environmental sanitation campaigns, and training of health workers in high-risk areas.
It also de-escalated its Incident Management System to alert mode while integrating Lassa fever messages into wider disease awareness campaigns.
The Lassa fever remains a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted primarily through contact with the urine or faeces of infected rats. It can also spread from person to person through bodily fluids, contaminated objects, or infected medical equipment.
Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, and in severe cases, bleeding from the body openings.
The agency further appealed to the public to avoid contact with rodents and to seek prompt medical care at designated treatment centres at the first sign of symptoms such as fever, headache, or bleeding.
It also reiterated the need for Nigerians to maintain good personal hygiene, report symptoms early, and avoid contact with rodents and their secretions.
“The public is also encouraged to follow NCDC advisories and utilise the toll-free line 6232 for inquiries,” it said.