By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 127 deaths from Lassa fever in 2025, warning that late presentation of cases and poor sanitary conditions are driving the fatality rate higher.
The NCDC advises Nigerians to take preventive measures seriously by avoiding contact with rodents, maintaining clean environments, and reporting to a health facility promptly when symptoms like fever, headache, or unexplained bleeding are noticed.
The NCDC’s epidemiological week 14 report indicates a total of 674 cases have been confirmed from 4,025 suspected cases across 18 states and 93 local government areas, with 15 new cases and five deaths reported from six states: Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Gombe. The NCDC reported no new health worker infections during the reporting week.
Speaking on efforts to tackle the spread, Dr. Jide Idris, the NCDC Director General, said the agency has activated a multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System (IMS) at the national level, deployed rapid response teams to high-burden areas, and intensified community engagement.
