ABUJA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has risen to 152 since the beginning of this year, public health authorities said on Tuesday.
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in its latest update, posted on its website, that 811 cases have been confirmed, with more than 6,520 suspected infections recorded.
With a case fatality rate of 18.7 percent, at least 21 out of Nigeria's 36 states have been affected by the viral hemorrhagic disease so far this year. The NCDC identified the southern states of Edo, Ondo, and Ebonyi, as well as the northern states of Bauchi and Taraba, as being the worst-hit. A total of 105, out of the country's 774 local government areas, have reported cases of Lassa fever.
"We are witnessing a slight decline in the total number of confirmed cases compared to 2024, but the fatality rate has increased," the NCDC said, noting possible late presentation, poor health-seeking behavior, and limited access to early treatment as the contributing factors.
The public health agency said individuals aged 21-30 years remained the most affected age group, with a nearly equal male-to-female distribution of cases.
Earlier this year, the NCDC identified poor health-seeking behavior, high treatment costs in some areas, and limited awareness in high-burden communities as major challenges. It activated a multi-sectoral incident management system to coordinate nationwide response efforts.
Lassa fever is primarily spread through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or feces. Human transmission occurs through direct contact with rat saliva, urine, or excrement.
