Lassa fever-causing rat
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that 172 people have died from Lassa fever across the country so far in 2025.
In its latest situation report released on Tuesday, the agency said a total of 924 confirmed cases have been recorded as of epidemiological week 40.
The figure represents infections reported from 21 states and 106 Local Government Areas.
According to the NCDC, the case fatality rate (CFR) currently stands at 18.6 per cent, an increase from 17 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.
The agency said 90 per cent of the confirmed cases were reported from five states — Ondo (35 per cent), Bauchi (22 per cent), Edo (17 per cent), Taraba (13 per cent), and Ebonyi (3 per cent) — while the remaining 10 per cent were spread across 16 other states.
“In week 40, the number of new confirmed cases increased from four in Week 39 to 13, all reported from Ondo State,” the report said.
The NCDC said the most affected age group is between 21 and 30 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1 to 0.8. It added that no new infections among healthcare workers were reported during the week under review. (Daily Trust)
NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.
