Lassa Fever Death Toll Hits 152, Says NCDC

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that the death toll from the ongoing Lassa fever outbreak in the country has risen to 152, even as the fatality rate climbed to 18.7 per cent.

In its Week 28 epidemiological report (July 7–13) released on Monday, the agency stated that 11 new cases were recorded in Ondo, Edo, and Benue states, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 811 since January.

More than 6,520 suspected cases have also been reported across 21 states and 105 local government areas.

Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic illness endemic in parts of West Africa, primarily transmitted through food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected rats. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through direct contact with the blood, urine, or other bodily fluids of an infected person.

While the number of confirmed cases reflects a slight decline compared to the same period in 2024, the NCDC noted a worrying rise in deaths, which it attributed to late presentation at health facilities, poor health-seeking behaviour, and limited access to early treatment.

The southern states of Ondo, Edo, and Ebonyi, as well as Bauchi and Taraba in the north, remain the epicentres of the outbreak. The five states alone account for 89 per cent of all confirmed cases, with Ondo leading at 32 per cent, followed by Bauchi (23 per cent), Edo (17 per cent), Taraba (14 per cent), and Ebonyi (3 per cent). The remaining 11 per cent of infections were recorded across 16 other states.

“The age group most affected is 21–30 years, with cases almost evenly distributed between males and females,” the NCDC said in its update, adding that no new infections were recorded among healthcare workers during the week under review.

The agency disclosed that its multi-sectoral Lassa Fever Technical Working Group has intensified response activities. These include supporting state infection prevention teams, sharing health advisory materials with reporting and non-reporting states, enforcing hospital infection control protocols, and deploying 10 rapid response teams to high-risk states using a One Health approach.

NCDC urged Nigerians to maintain proper environmental hygiene to discourage rodents from entering homes, avoid direct contact with rodents and their excreta, and report early to health facilities if they experience symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or unexplained bleeding.