Nigeria’s Lassa Fever toll has soared, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 822 confirmed cases and 155 deaths, signalling a deepening national health crisis.
NCDC today, confirmed 11 additional cases of Lassa Fever in Week 29 (14–20 July 2025), all reported in Ondo and Edo States, reports Daily Independent.
This latest surge brings the national total to 822 confirmed cases and a grim tally of 155 deaths so far in 2025. The announcement underlines a deteriorating situation that demands urgent, coordinated interventions at every level of government and healthcare delivery.
NCDC’s Situation Report reveals a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 18.9 percent – an increase from the 17.1 percent recorded at the same point in 2024. This uptick is especially troubling given that the number of new confirmed infections remained steady compared with Epidemiological Week 28, suggesting that the deadliness of Lassa Fever may be intensifying rather than the incidence alone driving mortality.
A staggering 89 percent of all confirmed Lassa Fever cases in 2025 have been concentrated in five states: Ondo (32 percent), Bauchi (23 percent), Edo (17 percent), Taraba (14 percent) and Ebonyi (3 percent). The remaining 11 percent are dispersed across 16 other states. In total, 21 states have now reported at least one confirmed case across 105 Local Government Areas, illustrating a geographic spread that refuses to be contained.
The disease is striking predominantly young adults, according to NCDC reports. The predominant age group affected by the outbreak is 21 to 30 years old.
