Lassa fever spreads in Nigeria with 89 new cases, 12 deaths

Lassa fever in Nigeria continues to spread with another 89 confirmed cases and 12 deaths recorded in the second week of January, the national health agency said on Wednesday.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in a statement that the new cases were confirmed in 13 of the country's 36 states.

The total number of cases in 2025 thus far reached 143 with 22 deaths.

In 2024, the country recorded 1,187 confirmed cases, and 191 deaths across 28 states.

Lassa fever cases typically rise during the dry season, which runs from November to May.

First identified in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state in 1969, Lassa fever is widespread in several other African nations, including Mali, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

On Jan. 23, 2019, the Nigerian government declared a state of emergency in response to the outbreak.

The infection spreads through contact with rat urine and feces and human-to-human transmission, and can cause fatal hemorrhagic fever.

The NCDC urged the public to avoid contact with rats, protect all food items from the rodents and to wash hands regularly.