The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) attributes the rise in fatalities caused by Lassa fever to delays in seeking medical attention by infected individuals.
NCDC, its latest situation report on the disease, said late presentation of cases is leading to an increase in the case fatality rate of Lassa fever.
The report, issued on Wednesday, also links the rise in death cases to a country-wide poor health-seeking behaviour resulting from what it described as the high cost of treatment and clinical management of Lassa fever.