The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed that Taraba State is currently the leading region in Lassa fever fatalities for 2025, with 34 deaths reported out of a nationwide total of 138. This information was provided in the NCDC’s latest situation report, which covers cases from January 1 to May 4, 2025.
According to the report, a total of 717 confirmed Lassa fever cases have been recorded from 4,881 suspected cases across 93 local government areas in 18 states. The fatalities were reported across 15 states, with the highest numbers occurring in Taraba (34), Ondo (27), Edo (19), and Bauchi (15). Other states affected include Ebonyi (11), Gombe (7), Plateau (5), Benue (5), Kogi (4), Nasarawa (4), Delta (2), Kaduna (2), Ogun (1), Enugu (1), and Cross River (1).
The overall Case Fatality Rate (CFR) for this year stands at 19.3%, which is slightly higher than the 18.0% CFR for the same period in 2024. The report further highlighted that 71% of all confirmed Lassa fever cases this year are from Ondo, Bauchi, and Taraba States, with Ondo accounting for 30% of the total, Bauchi 25%, and Taraba 16%. The remaining 28% of cases are spread across 15 other states.
The affected age group is primarily between 21 and 30 years, with a range spanning from one to 96 years. The median age for confirmed cases is 30 years, and the male-to-female ratio is 1:0.8.
The NCDC also confirmed that the National Lassa Fever Multi-Partner, Multi-Sectoral Incident Management System remains active and continues to coordinate response efforts at all levels of government.
