Nigeria Records 33 New Lassa Fever Cases As CFR Rises To 18.2% — NCDC

Nigeria has recorded 33 new confirmed cases of Lassa fever in Epidemiological Week 49, pushing the national Case Fatality Rate (CFR) to 18.2 per cent, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said.

In its Lassa Fever Situation Report for December 1–7, 2025, the NCDC reported that new cases were confirmed in Bauchi, Ondo, Edo, and Taraba States, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in 2025 to 1,069.

The agency disclosed that eight deaths were recorded during the week, translating to a weekly CFR of 24.2 per cent. Cumulative deaths nationwide now stand at 195.

According to the report, Nigeria has recorded 9,041 suspected cases and seven probable cases so far this year.

The current national CFR of 18.2 per cent is higher than the 16.5 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.

The NCDC also stated that 21 states and 103 local government areas have reported at least one confirmed case in 2025, with Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Taraba accounting for 89% of all confirmed infections. Ondo State remains the epicentre of the outbreak.

Young adults between the ages of 21 and 30 years were identified as the most affected age group, although cases ranged from one to 96 years, and infections were slightly higher among males than females.

The agency added that no new infections were recorded among healthcare workers during the reporting week.

NCDC said it continues to coordinate a multi-partner national response through the Lassa Fever Technical Working Group, with ongoing activities including healthcare worker training, infection prevention and control audits, behavioural assessments in high-burden states, community sensitisation, deployment of rapid response teams, and strengthened laboratory and treatment capacity.