The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said 215 deaths were recorded from Lassa fever in 2025, with the case fatality rate (CFR) rising to 18.7 per cent, higher than the 16.3 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.

On its official website in its Lassa Fever Situation Report for Epidemiological Week 52 (December 22–28, 2025) the body said the country recorded 1,148 confirmed cases out of 9,389 suspected cases during the year.

According to the report, 22 states and 107 Local Government Areas were affected by confirmed cases in 2025, underscoring the continued public health threat posed by the viral haemorrhagic disease.

The agency said while the number of suspected and confirmed cases declined compared to 2024, the higher fatality rate remained a major concern.

“In week 52 alone, 27 new confirmed cases and nine deaths were reported across Bauchi, Ondo, Ebonyi, Taraba and Nasarawa states,” the NCDC said.

It added that the increase from 21 cases in the previous week signalled sustained transmission in hotspot areas. The report revealed that Ondo, Bauchi, Edo and Taraba accounted for 89 per cent of all confirmed cases recorded nationwide.