The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported a drop in the number of confirmed Lassa fever cases in its latest Epidemiological Week 9 report for 2025. However, the agency warned that the disease’s fatality rate remains worryingly high at 18.7 percent, with 100 deaths recorded so far this year.
According to the report published on Sunday via the agency’s official website, a total of 29 new cases were confirmed across nine states—marking a significant decline from the 54 cases recorded in the previous week.
The affected states include Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Plateau, Cross River, Nasarawa, and Enugu.
The NCDC noted that 72 percent of all confirmed cases were reported from just three states: Ondo (31%), Bauchi (24%), and Edo (17%), highlighting the continued concentration of infections in these areas and raising concerns over the effectiveness of containment measures.
One additional healthcare worker was infected in Week 9, bringing the total number of affected medical personnel in 2025 to 17.
The agency stressed the need for improved protective measures, sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), and stricter infection prevention protocols in healthcare facilities.
The report also identified key challenges hampering the response to the outbreak.
These include delayed presentation of cases, high treatment costs discouraging health-seeking behaviour, poor sanitation in high-risk communities, and low public awareness of the disease and its symptoms.
To strengthen the response, the National Rapid Response Team (NRRT) has been deployed to Gombe, Nasarawa, and Benue states to provide technical support.
The NCDC has also stepped up risk communication efforts and conducted healthcare worker training in Bauchi, Ebonyi, and Benue states.
The agency said it is working in collaboration with international partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Geneva, and Georgetown Global Health Nigeria to improve case management and enhance disease surveillance.
Comparative figures from the NCDC show a lower number of confirmed cases in 2025, with 535 cases recorded as of Week 9, compared to 682 cases in the same period last year.
However, the fatality rate remains nearly unchanged—18.7 percent in 2025, compared to 18.8 percent in 2024.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to take preventive measures seriously, including avoiding contact with rodents and their droppings, properly storing food to prevent contamination, and seeking immediate medical attention when experiencing symptoms such as fever, sore throat, headache, or unexplained bleeding.
Public health experts have called for stronger interventions to address gaps in early diagnosis, treatment affordability, and public awareness.
They also urged state governments, donor agencies, and community leaders to scale up awareness campaigns and upgrade healthcare infrastructure, particularly in Lassa fever hotspots.
Experts further emphasized the need for long-term investments in disease surveillance systems, public health education, and broader access to treatment to reduce future outbreaks.
Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, typically transmitted through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents.
Human-to-human transmission is also possible, especially in healthcare settings with poor infection prevention and control practices.
(Prompt news)