Nigeria had 76 new cases of Lassa fever and 12 deaths across eight of its states between January 20 and 26, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in its latest report on the outbreak.
The newest confirmed cases were reported in Ondo, Taraba, Edo, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Gombe States.
The report noted that since the beginning of 2025, Nigeria had recorded a total of 290 cases and 53 deaths in just four weeks, with a fatality rate (CFR) of 18.3%, slightly lower than the 18.6% recorded during the same period in 2024.
So far in 2025, 10 states have reported at least one confirmed case, spanning 54 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The predominant age group affected is 21-30 (ranging from 1 to 94 years, with a median age of 32 years). The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is 1 to 0.9.
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents, as well as direct contact with infected individuals.