Lass Fever Surge: Nigeria Report Increase in deaths despite national response efforts

Lass Fever is again increasing throughout Nigeria, with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) which confirms a higher mortality rate and more infections despite the public health interventions.

In his latest report on the situation for epidemiological week 22 (from 26 May to 1 June), Friday, the NCDC said that eight new confirmed cases were recorded in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo and Nasarawa, which represent a slight increase from six cases reported in the previous week.

He said that so far in 2025, Nigeria has reported 747 confirmed cases and 142 deaths, marking a 19.0 percent mortality rate for an 18.1 percent increase recorded in the same period of 2024.

The disease has now spread in 18 states and 96 areas of the local government (LGA), with five wave states, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba and Ebonyi, which is explained for the incredible 91% of all confirmed infections.

Although the agency has stated that there are no new infections among the health workers in the reference week and no probable case, the challenges persist.

In the meantime, experts continue to raise concerns about the late presentation of cases, poor hygiene in endemic communities and limited behavior in search of health, which has hindered effective containment.

The health authorities said that response efforts have been intensified.

The NCDC said that it has implemented the quick response teams, launched a community awareness campaigns and activated an e-learning platform to form healthcare professionals on the prevention and control of infections.

Speaking of the rebirth, a public health expert, dr. Solomon Chollom, observed that the increase in cases reports the need for more basic surveillance and environmental hygiene education.

“We cannot fight lassa with hospital efforts on their own. The communities must be authorized to understand how this disease spreads, mainly through contact with urine or rodents’ stools and what they can do to prevent it,” said Chollom.

He said that Lassa’s fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease, is endemic in Nigeria and in general peaks during the dry season.

“However, the transmission model throughout the year seen in recent years suggests a change in the behavior of the disease, probably linked to urbanization, climatic factors and persistent gaps in toilet-health services,” he said.

The agency also observed that young adults between 21 and 30 years remain the most affected age group, indicating the need for a targeted public education in schools, markets and workplaces.

In response, the experts urged state governments and local advice to invest in waste disposal systems, community health surveillance and early cases of cases.

Freedomonline reports that while Nigeria continues its battle against multiple public health threats, including Cholera and Mpox, the Lassa Lassa fever epidemic is a clear reminder of the fragile health safety infrastructure of the country and the need for a collective and coordinated action.

In the meantime, the lassa fever can also spread from person to person through body fluids, contaminated objects or infected medical equipment.

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, muscle pain and in serious cases, bleeding from the body openings.