The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) responds as Yellow fever claims 76 lives in 3 states, Delta, Enugu and Bauchi States, in November. The yellow fever virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General of NCDC, said in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Abuja, said that following the outbreak this month, 1, 2 and 8 cluster cases and deaths were reported to the agency by the State Epidemiologists of the three affected states.
He further disclosed that 74 suspected cases involving 35 deaths were reported from Delta State; 70 suspected cases with 33 deaths from Enugu and 78 suspected cases with 8 deaths from Bauchi state, respectively. The NCDC director general revealed that from preliminary investigations, three samples from Delta, one sample from Enugu, and eight samples from Bauchi were confirmed as yellow fever from the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test conducted at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, Gaduwa, FCT.
“Between Nov. 1 and 11, 2020, a total of 222 suspected cases, 19 confirmed cases and 76 deaths have been reported from these three states,” he said. Ihekweazu stated that as at Nov. 7 the National Yellow Fever Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated to coordinate all response activities across the affected states. “The State Epidemiology Team in the affected states is leading the response with support from NCDC, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He also said “National Rapid Response Teams (RRT) from the NCDChave been deployed to support response activities in Delta and Enugu States” Yellow fever vaccine is available for free at Primary Health Care (PHC) centres across the country, as part of the national childhood routine immunisation schedule - Sorosoke News
Yellow fever claims 76 lives, NCDC responds
Reviewed by Esther Temilade
on
November 14, 2020
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Reviewed by Esther Temilade
on
November 14, 2020
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