Within the past few days, the Enugu State Government had reported 70 suspected cases of the viral infection including 33 deaths, and were confirmed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) as yellow fever from the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test conducted at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, Gaduwa, FCT.
The incidence of the disease was also confirmed in two more States as follows: 74 suspected cases involving 35 deaths were reported from Delta State, and 78 suspected cases with eight deaths from Bauchi State.
A recent report from the Enugu State Ministry of Health indicates that the disease may have extended to 3 more LGAs in the State: Isi-Uzo, Nsukka and Igbo-Etiti LGAs as more stranges deaths were reportedly recorded in these areas.
The State Commissioner of Health, Dr Ikechukwu Obi, said the Ministry’s Rapid Response Team and LGA Rapid Response Teams in collaboration with international and national partners have visited the communities involved and samples sent for testing while result is expected to arrive early this week.
“Following the confirmed cases of Yellow Fever in Igbo Eze North LGA of Enugu State and the concerted efforts to control the situation in the LGA by the State Government, Stakeholders and Partners; Federal and International, reports have also been received of ‘strange deaths’ within communities in Nsukka, Isi-Uzo and Igbo-Etiti LGAs.
“The Enugu State Ministry of Health Rapid Response Team, LGA Rapid Response Teams, International and National Partners have also visited these LGAs to investigate the reports and take samples for testing just as was done for the reports at Igboeze North.
“The new set of samples from these LGAs have been sent to the National Reference Laboratory at the Federal Capital Territory Abuja for a thorough and complete examination to determine conclusively the reasons for these new set of reports and the results are expected back early this week,” he stated.
Dr Obi sympathized with the families who lost their loved ones through the unfortunate incidence while urging the people to keep their environment clean and remove mosquito breeding sites around their homes as Yellow Fever is spread by Mosquitoes.
“Yellow Fever Vaccination is not for treatment of Yellow Fever; it is for prevention of Yellow Fever.
“If you have been recently vaccinated against Yellow Fever, you do not need to be vaccinated again.
“It takes 10 days or more for Yellow fever vaccine to start working after you have received it.
“If you or your loved ones are not feeling well, please visit or take your loved one to a nearby hospital for treatment. Trained Health Workers can recognize most of the diseases of public health importance and know what to do,” Dr Obi added.
The Director General of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, had while reporting the earlier result said that yellow fever was preventable with a vaccine and the Vaccine are freely available in Primary Health Care Centers across the country.
“Yellow fever is a vaccine-preventable disease. A single vaccination provides immunity for life. Symptoms of the disease include yellowness of the eyes, sudden fever, headache and body pain.
“The yellow fever vaccine is available for free in primary health care centres in Nigeria as part of the national childhood routine immunisation schedule,” the NCDC Boss stated.
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