The death toll from Lassa fever in Nigeria has risen to 53, according to the latest situation report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) released on Thursday.
The NCDC also reported that it is currently conducting contact tracing for around 191 suspected cases in an effort to contain the spread of the disease.
Lassa fever is an acute viral illness transmitted by the common African rat, known as the Mastomys species, and is endemic in Nigeria and several other West African countries. Since the last major outbreak in 2016, the NCDC has noted a rise in the frequency of recurring cases.
The NCDC data shows that the number of deaths in the first four weeks of 2025 is significantly higher than in the same period of 2024, which recorded 48 deaths. In the first four weeks of 2025, 53 deaths were reported across 54 local government areas (LGAs) in 10 states.
So far, 1,171 suspected cases have been reported, with 290 cases confirmed.
The NCDC reported that 75% of all confirmed Lassa fever cases have been from three states: Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi, while the remaining 25% are from seven other states with confirmed cases. Specifically, Ondo accounted for 37% of the cases, Edo 21%, and Bauchi 17%. The predominant age group affected is between 21-30 years, with cases ranging from ages 1 to 94, and the median age being 32 years.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, which is a member of the arenavirus family. Humans typically contract the virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated by the urine or feces of infected Mastomys rats. The disease is endemic in the rodent population in parts of West Africa, including countries like Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria, with the possibility that it may exist in other West African nations as well.
Person-to-person transmission can also occur, particularly in healthcare settings where infection prevention and control measures are inadequate.
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