The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has revealed that about 85 per cent of confirmed Lassa fever cases in the country are now concentrated in just five states. This showed an alarming regional imbalance in the spread of the deadly viral disease.
The affected states identified by the agency included Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi, which together accounted for the overwhelming majority of infections recorded so far in 2025.
In a recent report released by the NCDC, the the authority disclosed that at least 21 states have recorded one or more confirmed Lassa fever cases across more than 100 local government areas, indicating that the disease continues to cut a wide national swathe.
However, within that broader spread, Ondo State alone has contributed roughly one-three of all infections, followed closely by Bauchi, Edo, and Taraba, with Ebonyi making up the remainder of the high‑burden group.
Health officials have warned that the concentration of cases in these five states reflected both intense local transmission and gaps in community‑level prevention, particularly around rodent control and safe food storage.
The NCDC has urged state governments and citizens in these hotspots to intensify surveillance, early case reporting, and personal hygiene measures to curb further spread and reduce the rising death toll linked to Lassa fever.