The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on Friday confirmed the death of 145 persons from Lassa fever in 2025 across 18 states.

According to the latest situation report released by the NCDC for epidemiological week 24 (June 9–15), Nigeria recorded 766 confirmed cases from 5,678 suspected infections.

The agency said that the states most affected were Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi, which accounted for 91 per cent of the confirmed cases.

It said that Ondo alone contributed 31 per cent making it the epicentre of the outbreak.

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In spite of a decline in new confirmed cases down to eight from 11 the previous week, the Nigerian public health agency said that health authorities remained concerned about the high fatality rate.

The agency said that this was driven by late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour, and unsanitary living conditions in high-burden communities.

According to it, efforts to contain the outbreak have included the deployment of Rapid Response Teams to 10 states, risk communication, environmental sanitation campaigns, and training of health workers in high-risk areas.

The NCDC also de-escalated its Incident Management System to alert mode while integrating Lassa fever messages into wider disease awareness campaigns.

The agency has appealed to the public to avoid contact with rodents and to seek prompt medical care at designated treatment centres at the first sign of symptoms such as fever, headache, or bleeding.

The agency continues to urge Nigerians to maintain hygiene, report symptoms early, and avoid contact with rodents and their secretions.

“The public is also encouraged to follow NCDC advisories and utilise the toll-free line 6232 for inquiries,” it said.