The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported a total of 54 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and 10 deaths in the first week of January 2025, following 196 suspected cases. The cases were spread across six states and 20 local government areas (LGAs) between December 30, 2024, and January 5, 2025.
The NCDC’s situation report indicates that the number of confirmed cases dropped from 70 in the final week of 2024 (epi week 52) to 54 in the first week of 2025. The affected states include Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Kogi. The cumulative case fatality rate (CFR) for the week was 18.5%, significantly higher than the 11.3% CFR for the same period in 2024.
A breakdown of the report shows that 78% of the confirmed cases were from Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi, with the remaining 22% spread across three other states. Despite the increase in suspected cases compared to the previous year, the NCDC highlighted that no healthcare workers were affected in week 1 of 2025.
The agency noted that the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System had been activated to coordinate the response efforts, with the Emergency Operations Centre for Lassa fever already in operation since last year. This system helps manage the outbreak and guide response activities at all levels.
In 2024, Nigeria recorded 9,685 suspected Lassa fever cases, 1,187 confirmed cases, and 191 deaths across 28 states and 138 local government areas. The NCDC continues to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease.
