In its epidemiological report for week nine of 2025, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) documents a decrease in newly confirmed cases of Lassa fever. Despite this promising development, the mortality rate remains distressingly high, underscoring the need for robust prevention measures and efficacious treatment strategies. The reported case fatality rate has remained stubbornly static at 18.7%, with a tragic tally of 100 deaths recorded in the current year itself.
According to the Lassa Fever Situation Report released by the NCDC, there was a nearly 50% decrease in weekly cases, from 54 in week eight to 29 new cases across nine states during week nine. These cases span states including Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Plateau, Cross River, Nasarawa, and Enugu. A sobering 72% of these confirmed cases come from Ondo (31%), Bauchi (24%), and Edo (17%), a statistic that casts a harsh light on the effectiveness of ongoing containment endeavors within these states.
A new case in a healthcare worker during week nine brings the total of infected health practitioners in 2025 to 17. This worrying development underlines the critical necessity for improved protective measures, an adequate stock of personal protective equipment, and advanced infection prevention protocols in healthcare centers.
In the agency’s collective evaluation, multiple factors pose roadblocks to the response to the outbreak. These challenges range from the late presentation of patients, resulting in escalated fatality rates, to poor health-seeking habits driven by the high cost of Lassa fever management. Furthermore, weak sanitation conditions in communities with a heavy disease burden and a general lack of awareness about symptoms and preventive strategies compound the problem.
More positively, national and international efforts to counter the outbreak have been mobilized. Alongside the deployment of the National Rapid Response Team (NRRT) to Gombe, Nasarawa, and Benue states, the NCDC has ramped up its risk communication endeavors and provided healthcare worker training in Bauchi, Ebonyi, and Benue. This unified front also includes partnerships with international entities such as the World Health Organistion (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Geneva, and Georgetown Global Health Nigeria, with their collective focus on improving case management and enhancing disease surveillance.
Comparing year-on-year data uncovers an encouraging decrease in confirmed cases – 535 cases as of week nine in 2025, versus 682 in the same period in 2024. However, the fatality rate hovers nearly unchanged at around 18.8%. A continued appeal goes out to Nigerians to minimize contact with rodents; store food properly to reduce risk of contamination; and seek immediate medical assistance for symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat and unexplained bleeding.
Public health experts stress the need for proactive measures and investments to bridge gaps in early detection, treatment affordability, and greater public cognizance. A call has been issued to state governments, aid agencies, and community leaders to bolster awareness initiatives and uplift healthcare infrastructure in Lassa fever-impacted regions.
Whilst Nigeria grapples with this recurring public health menace, long-term investments in disease surveillance, public health education and equitable access to treatment are deemed essential to control future outbreaks. Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease notably spread via contact with items contaminated by infected rodents or through human-to-human transmission in inadequately protected healthcare settings, requires sustained attention – both nationally and internationally – due to its high mortality rates and the potential for cross-border spread.
Source: https://dailytrust.com/lassa-fever-cases-decline-in-nigeria-fatality-rate-remains-high-ncdc/