Our correspondent
Fear has gripped residents of Anambra State following reported cases of yellow fever in her two neighbouring states of Abia and Imo.
A resident,Ijeoma Azuenyi , who spoke with our correspondent had enjoined the state’s ministry of health to come up with enlightenment activities to the public about the disease.
“You know, Anambra people are travellers, so for the disease to be recorded in Abia and Imo is a threat to our people here. So, the ministry of health here should wake up.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has recorded 14 deaths in 10 states from suspected cases of yellow fever from January to July 2022.
The NCDC made this known via its official website on Sunday.
It listed the affected states as Abia -one, Bayelsa -one, Benue- one, Imo- one, Kaduna- one, Katsina – two, Kebbi -two, Taraba -two, Yobe -one and Zamfara -three.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) described yellow fever as an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes.
The “yellow” in the name refers to jaundice that affects some patients.
The symptoms of yellow fever include headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
A small proportion of patients who contract the virus, however, develop severe symptoms, and approximately half of those die within seven to 10 days.
The Nigerian Public Health Institute said that cumulatively a total of 1,179 suspected cases of yellow fever were reported from 416 local government areas between January 1 and July 31.
It said that one case each was confirmed from Sokoto, Osun, Ondo, Anambra and Imo states.
The NCDC said that male to female ratio for suspected cases was 1:1.7 with males recording 637 cases (54 per cent) and females, 542 cases (46 per cent).
It stated that 74 per cent of cases were aged 30 years and below.
“One hundred and twenty-six (10.7 per cent) of 1,179 suspected cases has had at least one dose of the yellow fever vaccine,” it said.
The centre said that it was coordinating response activities through the National Multi-Agency Yellow Fever Technical Working Group.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt across several other areas including the increase in the risk of measles and yellow fever outbreaks due to delayed planned vaccination campaigns.
Meanwhile, yellow fever is preventable with an extremely effective vaccine that is safe and affordable.
A single dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to grant sustained immunity and life-long protection against yellow fever disease.
A booster dose of the vaccine is not needed.
The NCDC revealed efforts to support Nigeria in preventive mass vaccination campaigns (PMVCs), through its Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) Strategy.
It said it would be reaching out to states like Ogun, Gombe, Kano, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno and Enugu before the end of 2022.
“Further yellow fever vaccination campaigns are planned in Nigeria in the states of Ogun and Gombe States in June 2022,” it said.
It added that these campaigns targeted 8.8 million people for protection, while additional PMVCs will be implemented in the latter part of 2022 in Kano, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno and Enugu state.
