ABUJA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has risen to 166 since the beginning of this year, health authorities said Thursday, warning that delayed treatment and weak awareness are fueling the disease's spread.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in its latest update that 895 confirmed cases were reported between January and September across 106 local government areas in 21 of the country's 36 states.

The agency said the case fatality rate stood at 18.5 percent, higher than the 16.9 percent recorded during the same period in 2024. It attributed the rise in deaths to "late presentation and poor health-seeking behavior, often linked to the high cost of treatment."

The worst-hit states are Edo, Ebonyi, and Ondo in the south, and Bauchi and Taraba in the north, accounting for more than 90 percent of all confirmed cases. Ondo alone represents one-third of the total, according to the NCDC.

It said poor sanitation, limited awareness in high-burden communities, and delayed treatment continue to exacerbate the outbreak. A multi-sectoral incident management system has been activated to coordinate a nationwide response.

Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic illness, is primarily transmitted through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or feces. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through direct contact with the blood, saliva, urine, or excreta of infected individuals. ■