Nigeria has reported a surge in Lassa fever cases, with 89 new cases and 12 deaths confirmed in the second week of January.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced that the new cases were detected across 13 states. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in 2025 to 143, with 22 deaths.
In 2024, the country recorded a significant number of cases, with 1,187 confirmed cases and 191 deaths reported across 28 states.
Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever endemic to West Africa. The disease is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents and can also spread through human-to-human contact.
The NCDC has urged the public to take precautionary measures, such as avoiding contact with rats, protecting food items from rodent contamination, and practicing good hand hygiene.
This outbreak highlights the ongoing public health challenges posed by Lassa fever in Nigeria and the importance of continued surveillance and preventive measures.