Lassa Fever Death Toll Rises to 127, Taraba, Ondo Lead as NCDC Activates Emergency Response

• The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 674 Lassa fever cases and 127 deaths across 18 states as of April 6, 2025.

• Taraba and Ondo recorded the highest fatalities, while the virus mainly affected people aged 21 to 30, with a nearly equal gender distribution.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 674 confirmed cases and 127 deaths from Lassa fever across 18 states, as of April 6, 2025.

The data, released in its latest situation report, revealed that 93 local government areas have been affected by the viral outbreak, with a current Case Fatality Rate of 18.8 per cent slightly higher than 2024’s figure for the same period.

According to the report, Taraba State recorded the highest number of deaths (31), followed by Ondo (26), and Edo (17). Other states with fatalities include Bauchi, Ebonyi, Gombe, and Kogi.

“In week 14, the number of new confirmed cases increased slightly, reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Gombe,” the NCDC noted, adding that most infections were seen in the 21–30-year age range, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.8.

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The NCDC highlighted that 71 per cent of all confirmed cases originated from just three states Ondo, Bauchi, and Edo.

The agency also announced that it has activated the National Lassa fever multi-partner Incident Management System to coordinate national response activities. Fortunately, no new healthcare workers were infected in the latest reporting week.