NCDC tracks 357 contacts after lassa fever death of UK returnee

The NCDC has listed 357 individuals for follow-up after a 31-year-old physician’s death from Lassa fever, which has claimed over 100 lives in 2025

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has initiated follow-up procedures for 357 individuals after a 31-year-old physician, who recently returned from the United Kingdom, died from Lassa fever.

Also read: Lassa fever cases rise in Nigeria: 1,018 infections in 2024

The physician, who had returned to Nigeria on February 27, 2025, succumbed to the disease on March 1, 2025, after being treated at a private health facility in Ondo State.

Laboratory results confirmed the cause of death as Lassa fever through PCR testing on March 4, 2025. The physician was reported to have visited family, friends, and his fiancée in Edo State before travelling, raising concerns about possible exposure to the virus.

As of March 2, 2025, the NCDC reported that 535 individuals across 13 states have been infected with Lassa fever out of 2,728 suspected cases.

This has resulted in over 100 deaths, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 18.7%. The disease, caused by the Lassa virus, primarily spreads through contact with infected rodents, particularly the multimammate rat, which serves as the virus’s natural reservoir.

Lassa fever outbreaks occur throughout the year, but peak transmission typically happens from October to May. According to the NCDC’s data, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 54 in week 8 to 29 in week 9 of 2025.

The most affected states include Ondo, Bauchi, and Edo, which together account for 72% of all confirmed cases. Ondo, alone, reported 31% of the total cases, followed by Bauchi with 24% and Edo with 17%.

The report from the NCDC also indicated that the predominant age group affected by the disease is between 21 and 30 years, with a median age of 30. The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases stands at 1:0.8.

In addition to the general public, healthcare workers have also been impacted. So far in 2025, 17 healthcare workers across Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Gombe states have contracted Lassa fever.

The NCDC continues to monitor and respond to the outbreak through the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System, which has been activated to coordinate response efforts at all levels.