The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 80 deaths from 413 Lassa fever cases across 11 states during Epidemiological Week 6 (Feb. 3–9, 2025). The case fatality rate (CFR) has surged to 19.4%, up from 17.5% in the same period last year.
Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states accounted for 73% of confirmed cases, with Ondo recording the highest at 34%, followed by Edo (21%) and Bauchi (18%). The NCDC has identified poor health-seeking behavior, high treatment costs, and limited awareness in high-burden communities as major challenges in tackling the ongoing Lassa fever outbreak.
To address the outbreak, the NCDC has activated the National Lassa Fever Multi-Sectoral Incident Management System (IMS) to coordinate efforts, including deployment of National Rapid Response Teams (NRRT) to affected states, training healthcare workers, and enhancing surveillance and contact tracing.
Source: Nairametrics
