The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 15 new Lassa fever infections and 5 additional deaths.
The week 14 (March 31st to April 6th) report brings the death toll to 127.
As revealed by the report, the confirmed cases now rise to 674 out of 4,025 suspected cases reported across 18 states and 93 local government areas.
The case fatality rate (CFR), which stands at 18.8 percent, is slightly higher than the 18.5 percent recorded during the same period in 2024.
NCDC also revealed that the hardest-hit states are Ondo, Bauchi, and Edo, accounting for 71 percent of all confirmed cases.
Ondo leads with 30 percent, Bauchi with 25 percent, and Edo with 16 percent.
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In response, the NCDC has activated a national Incident Management System to strengthen coordination and response efforts.
While the rapid response teams have been deployed to critical zones, treatment centres have received emergency supplies, including antiviral drugs and protective gear.
The agency has urged the public to adopt stricter hygiene measures, keep food away from rodents, and seek immediate medical attention when experiencing symptoms like high fever, headaches, or unexplained bleeding.
As the outbreak intensifies, health officials have also warned that a coordinated, community-driven response is vital to containing the spread and preventing further loss of life.
Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic illness mainly spread through contact with rodent urine or droppings, continues to present a recurring public health challenge, underlying systemic gaps in disease surveillance, access to healthcare, and environmental sanitation.
