Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed the passing of a 31-year-old physician, who died of Lassa fever, after returning from the United Kingdom.
 
Its Director-General, Dr Jide İdris, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, explained that on March 5, 2025, the centre was notified of a confirmed case of Lassa fever by the Ondo State Ministry of Health, in a 31-year-old physician, managed at a private health facility in the state after returning from a United Kingdom (UK) trip. 
   
Idris said the patient departed Nigeria on February 19, 2025, and returned on February 27. 
  
Samples, according to him, were taken late on Friday, February 28, on suspicion of Lassa fever, but the patient unfortunately passed away in the early hours of Saturday, March 1. 
 
The DG clarified that the laboratory investigation returned a Lassa fever positive on PCR on Tuesday, March 4, adding that the patient was said to have visited his fiancée in Edo State, as well as family and friends before travelling. 
   
The NCDC boss said to enhance state and international level coordination of all control and management efforts, the Ondo State Ministry of Health has amplified control and management efforts through contact tracing and line listing of contacts. 
   
Idris noted that all necessary in-country structures had been mobilised to ensure possible contacts were traced and monitored.
  
He added that in line with Regulations (2005), contact tracing efforts were also ongoing in the UK.
   
Meanwhile, the NCDC has recorded 98 deaths,535 confirmed cases, and 2728 suspected cases of the disease across 14 states as of Epi-week 9 (February 24-March 2, 2025), representing a Case Fatality Rate of 18.3 per cent.
  
According to Idris, five states accounted for 91 per cent of confirmed cases, and they include Ondo: 31 per cent; Bauchi: 24 per cent; Edo: 17 per cent; Taraba (16 per cent), and Ebonyi (three per cent). 
 
He also disclosed that 10 council areas made up 68 per cent of confirmed cases, namely Owo, Akure South, Etsako West, Kirfi, Akoko South-West, Bali, Esan North-East, Bauchi, Toro and Jalingo.